A Heart of Snow
by Moony the Beast
Summary: Hatori and Kana: doctor and apprentice turned lovers. For a year and a half, happiness ruled their lives. Little did they know that it would break with the crash of a vase. HatoriXKana.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Hey guys! Or girls… or… never mind. I've been thinking this up for a while, and now it's actually here! My story! Yay! It's Hatori/Kana, the whole way through. Well, most of the time. The end is a bit different. Unexpected, I think. Yup. Read and review!!

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Hatori Sohma stood in his bathroom in front of his mirror. His black hair hung in front of his left eye. Both his eyes were a startling blue-green in color. He had dressed as usual. A white undershirt, followed by a well-ironed white dress shirt, tucked into a just as nice pair of grey dress pants. He turned, selected a red tie off the doorknob, and tied it perfectly around his neck. He slipped into a grey-blue vest and buttoned it up. His reflection was of a well dressed, attractive man. He frowned and unbuttoned the vest. He dropped them on the floor. He'd get it later.

Kana Sohma also dressed. A standing mirror in her bedroom was her point of interest. She had put on a matching jacket and skirt. Her blouse poked through the half-buttoned jacket. The look she loved. Her feet slipped into shoes, and she moved closer, nose almost touching the mirror to check her make-up one last time. Today was an important day for her. It was her first day as an intern to her distant relative, Hatori Sohma, a well studied family doctor.

Kana walked to the main house. It was cold out, but she didn't mind. To her, winter was a long, dark tunnel. At the end, was spring. Kana loved spring more than anything. The estate was very large. She was glad to have finally found the entrance. A man stood against the door. He was tall; his black hair hung in front of his left eye. His other eye was a bright blue-green. She assumed both of them were. He bowed as she approached.

"Hello. I take it you are my new assistant?" he asked, straightening. She nodded. "I am Hatori Sohma. Come in, the office is a short ways from here. It's quite cold out." He turned, opened the door, and she walked in. Hatori was a fast walker. He led her through hallways, out doors, over paths winding through gardens, and under covered walkways, quietly naming off buildings and gardens to her. She talked with him as well.

"I'm so honored you chose me, Hatori-san! I'm sure this job is very coveted." He shrugged.

"Not quite. Most of the interns flock to the hospitals for positions. I am only a lowly family doctor."

"Oh," she replied. "I'm sorry." He smiled.

"There is nothing to be sorry about," he told her softly.

He finally stopped before a small building and took a key out of his grey pants. She followed her gaze upward. Over a pressed white shirt was a perfectly white lab coat. The door swung in, and he beckoned her inside. The door shut behind her. He walked, past two overstuffed chairs, off of the thick rug they sat on, into a tiled back room with two desks (and computers) and rows of shelves filled with files. It lead to what appeared to be an examination room. A file cabinet stood behind a desk covered with neat stacks of papers. He draped his coat over the leather chair in front of it and opened a drawer. He turned, hand to his head.

"Where are my manners?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "I have not had you introduce yourself!" She smiled.

"I'm Kana Sohma! I'm so pleased that you selected me! Thank you again! It's a little strange that we're in the same family and we've never spoken before. But, Hatori, you're so handsome you're popular even 'outside!'" she told him gleefully. There was something about him that made it hard not to smile. He nodded in his serious way, slightly taken back.

"It was cold out. Would you like something hot to drink?" he asked. She shook her head. "Well, to continue, your files and work will be over here on this desk. And I know it's sudden, but I've got a job for y-"

"It's snowing!" she cried happily, gaze drawn to the window. Then she looked horrified. "Oh no! I'm sorry for interrupting, Hatori-san!" She turned, smiling radiantly. His breath caught in his chest. "Hatori-san, can I ask you a question?" He nodded, intrigued. "When snow melts, what does it become?"

_What the hell? _Was she kidding?

"It becomes water, of course," he replied, skeptical. She was smiling even brighter.

"Wrong! It becomes spring!"

_It becomes spring._

"Spring is my favorite season," she said, beaming. Then she apologized again and let him continue with his instructions.

Noon hit. Hatori had been working fervently, but looked up as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He flipped it open and turned the alarm off. Standing, he was glad to see that Kana was hard at work, smiling happily. He picked his coat up off the chair and slid into it. Kana looked up, surprised.

"Where are you going?" she asked, standing as well. He motioned for her to sit, but she ignored him.

"The head of the family, Akito, needs his medications now, seeing that it's noon." She nodded and made for the door. Hatori stopped her. "There's no need for you to come. Akito is not fond of strangers." He was secretly worried. Kana saw it reflected ever so slightly in his eyes. She nodded.

"I could just stand outside the room," she suggested. Hatori paused in getting his black leather bag to watch her. Slowly he nodded.

They left the office and took off down the covered walkway. Hatori looked straight ahead, but directed his questions to her.

"So, Kana-chan, what made you decide to become a doctor?" She smiled.

"I've always loved to help people and take care of them. A doctor was an obvious choice. And I love challenges. It seems like a challenge, being a doctor. In a good way; so I took it on." She laughed at her last sentence. "Sorry. What about you, Hatori-san?"

He glanced quickly at her. "I love to help too; and to take care of people. It makes me feel invincible; like I can take on anything and know I'll win in the end." A smile flickered at his lips. "The position was inherited. I'd always wanted to do this anyway, after my mother died. I vowed to never lose against a death that could be prevented. My father died a few years later. I moved here. They were always very supportive to me." He stopped and sighed. "Unfortunately, this job wasn't the only thing I inherited." Kana looked at him questioningly, but he said no more. "Maybe…maybe I'll tell you one day."

Kana waited as Hatori went to give medicine to Akito. The conversation on the way there was playing through her head._ "Unfortunately, this job wasn't the only thing I inherited."_ He had sounded so regretful. The door opened and Hatori came out, looking nonchalant, expression the same. He nodded to her as they walked.

"Akito's in a better mood today," he told her. She made to turn toward the office, but he gently took her arm and steered a different way. "We're going to the kitchens for lunch. I noticed you didn't bring anything." Kana's eyes widened.

"Oh no, I totally forgot about lunch!" she cried. He smiled.

The kitchens were bustling. Hatori spoke with the cooks and came back with two trays of steaming food. She took one gratefully.

"We'll eat back in the office," he said, looking around warily. She nodded and followed him back out into the cold.

Lunch ended up lasting until 1:30; Akito's medicine, walking, ordering, more walking and the actual eating took up about an hour and a half. They sat on the floor and chatted over their trays of fresh warm food. Hatori watched her.

"Do you like it? The cooks here are amazing. It's where I usually eat." She nodded as she chewed. Swallowing, she said,

"It is good." They talked about personal lives, joked, about college and work. It was quite fun. Hatori stood and put the trays outside by the door. The maids would retrieve them. Reluctantly they returned to the desks to work. At three, the door burst open.

"Hari!" cried a voice from the doorway. They turned to see a young blonde haired boy waving frantically and walking towards them. He was carrying an armload of books; school books. Hatori smiled at the boy, looking to be only in elementary school.

"Hello, Momiji. Need help with your Algebra again?" he asked, just like a father. As fatherly as Hatori would ever get, anyway. His emotions were so well hidden behind his mask of a face.

"Ja!" the boy cried. He was German. He plopped down on the floor and began to spread out his papers. Kana watched in amazement. He looked up at her and smiled, unwrapping a lollipop.

"Hallo!" he grinned, holding it out to her. "Would you like some?" he asked. She shook her head and smiled. Hatori got down on the floor with Momiji and began to sift through the papers. He reached up to his desk and felt around, frowning. The boy held out a pair of glasses.

"Here you go, Hari. I thought you might need them." They smiled at each other.

"Momiji, this is my new assistant, Kana Sohma. Kana, this is Momiji Sohma. I help him with homework and watch him. Needless to say, he needs it sometimes." Hatori was smiling. His eyes met hers, and an indescribable fire flickered to life. It coursed through them, and they looked away from each other, faces growing hot. Momiji was saying something.

"I'm fourteen, and in the eighth grade. Math is sooo hard," he sighed. Kana looked at him in surprise.

"You're fourteen?" she asked, unable to stop herself. He smiled brightly at her.

"Ja!"

Hatori stood up, frowning. He was still wearing his glasses.

"Is it three, Momiji?" he asked. The boy nodded. He silently cursed, and grabbed his coat and bag.

"Akito needs his medicine. Kana might be able to help you with your Algebra, Momiji. She's smart." His eyes were twinkling as they met hers. She felt herself blush.

"Okay, what's the first problem?" she asked, kneeling next to him on the floor. Hatori smiled as he left.

It was eight at night. Hatori hopped out of the shower of his apartment and slowly, fighting sleep, dressed. He blew his hair dry and didn't bother to comb it. His bed was calling to him. He pulled the covers up and laid there thinking. Kana was a wonderful assistant; he had chosen her because she was so eager to learn. He found himself smiling.

"I will teach you how to heal anything. I will teach you everything I know." Her face, smiling so brightly, hung in front of his eyes. He drifted off to sleep, unable to rid himself of her.

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A/N: What'd you think? Sweet, right? Lol. It's only the first chapter; give me some time to work my magic. Review please! I'll take flames, I guess.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** What's up? This chapter's in Hatori's POV. I don't really like it… but I don't matter. You do. So tell me how I did, kay? 

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Kana was wonderful. She was everything a doctor could want out of an assistant. The first month with her almost every day, watching her smile as she spoke with me, was heaven. Bliss surrounded my office. We grew to be close friends, even though we knew almost nothing of each other.

My dreams were filled with Kana; my every thought was owned by her radiant face. I asked Shigure what it could mean, using the excuse of a patient. He shrugged it off, saying it was probably some ridiculous crush coming back to haunt them. But I can't get that out of my mind. The fact that every day is driven by the desire to see her, to sit next to her, to watch her reflection on my computer screen. The fact that Shigure said, in a subtle way, that it was love. I had never fallen in love before then. It was wonderful, a fire burning brighter every time our eyes would meet, and the blush rising to her face. I reddened too, though not as often.

It hurt, knowing that whatever I did, nothing would ever make it possible to have a relationship with her. My secret truly is a curse, a burden, to all those around me. I could not dump that onto her as well. I could not crush her dreams with hopeless romantic desires. I could not let my feelings surface. But I couldn't ignore that pounding wish within. I had to let it out. If we had anything, I would have to cause it to fall apart. It would mean disaster, should our feelings get carried away. Akito would never allow it. Not over my dead body.

So I would hide. But it wouldn't be long until what I hoped and feared for the most would begin to take shape.

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A/N: So, was it okay? The next chapter's better, I swear. Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Welcome back! I'm glad you decided to keep reading. This chapter's pretty sweet. I actually don't know if some of this stuff exists, but hey, it's fan fiction!

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Kana, Wednesday morning, phoned Hatori as he was getting ready.

"It's Kana," she said, voice hoarse. "I'm not going to be able to make it to the office today. That bug I had turned out to be the flu." She coughed. Hatori blinked in surprise. His friend was ill. Even though it had only been a month and a half, they were very close. But not nearly as close as they dreamed.

"What are your symptoms?" he asked. She paused.

"I have a high fever, chills, sweat and the whole rest of the package. My throat's killing me; I've vomited twice in the last two hours. Is that good?" she asked, giggling a little. He smiled.

"Perfect. I'll be over in a bit."

"Eh? You're coming over? That's not necessary; I was just phoning to tell you-"

"I know, but I would like to have my assistant well as soon as possible. Didn't I tell you I could heal anything?"

"But, Hatori, wait!" she cried. The only response was the dial tone buzzing loudly in her ear. She sighed and hung up as well.

Fifteen minutes later, a knock sounded on her apartment door.

"Come in," she croaked, sitting on the couch in front of her television. Hatori entered, wearing a gray suit with a white shirt and a red tie. He was balancing hot chicken soup and an eight pack of Gatorade. Plus his bag. Smiling. Walking toward her while the door shut. Oh my gosh. He set them down on the coffee table in front of her and crouched to peer into her eyes. For once, she did not blush. His hands reached out and began to feel her neck. He was touching her. She felt like she might melt.

"Does that hurt?" he asked softly, voice caring. Her eyes squeezed shut. She shook her head. "Good." His hand cupped her face. Her heart nearly exploded. Her eyes opened slowly. "Kana, you do have the flu. I can tell just by looking at you." Great. She looked like hell. Just the thing she loved to hear from the guy she really liked. His eyes were gentle, and she found herself drowning in them. He pressed the soup (it was in a cup) into her hand.

"This will help. Drink it all. I'm working half a day today, and I'll stop back when I'm done. You'd better be at least half way through the Gatorade by then unless you start to vomit. Then you will call me. Okay?" she nodded. "Good." He leaned forward. She squeezed her eyes shut again. Oh my gosh, he was going to kiss her. She was going to die.

He didn't kiss her. Not really. He did whisper in her ear though.

"Get well soon. It will be lonely without you." Something brushed her cheek tenderly. His lips. She was definitely dead. His hand gripped hers. Her eyes opened, and he stood, watching her, concerned. She smiled weakly.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'll try my best." His hand let go. He was gone.

Damn! How could he do that? How could he let himself get so carried away? He couldn't. He wasn't thinking rationally anymore. He was drunk. On emotions. The most ridiculous things. He _kissed_ her! Kissed! It was only her cheek, but it was still a kiss. What an idiot. But he couldn't get rid of the fact that Kana had totally melted when he touched her. He could hear her heart beating faster. He could feel it. And she had let him touch her face so gently. She had let him kiss her. And then she had let her voice go shaky. That was a strange fact. Shaky from what? He pounded his fist on the desk. The pain brought him back to reality. So did the ringing of the phone.

Kana was pissed. She had been sitting here on the couch for how many damn hours, drinking how many damn Gatorades, watching how many damn soaps, and now her stomach decides to barf everything up. Damn!

She had drunken four of the Gatorades. Her favorite kind-melon. How he knew was beyond her. They talked a lot; she had probably told him then. And now she couldn't drink anything more until he decided to stop by. After work; around 1:00, probably. Her head hit the pillow. She felt like hell, and she looked like it too. Great.

She had called him, of course.

"This is Kana…I threw up again."

"Well, firstly, don't drink anymore," he told her. She totally blew up after that.

"I'M NOT THAT DUMB! HOW STUPID DO YOU THINK I AM?! I'M TRAINIG TO BECOME A DOCTOR, YOU-" he cut her off.

"I'm sorry, Kana. You must be quite stressed. Anyway, that's about it. Don't overexert yourself. I'll be over after work."

"Hatori…I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. Now rest." He had hung up. She was alone again.

1:00 pm. Kana was out, curled up in a ball on the couch. Hatori followed her instructions on how to get into the apartment. He opened the door. She didn't stir at all.

Golden hair…draped over the edge of the pillow. It was tangled, short, but it was beautiful. His hand involuntarily reached out to touch it. He wrapped his fingers in a strand. He let it fall, watching it. Then he remembered why he was here. Shaking his head, he emptied his bag on the table.

Triple chocolate pudding-a six pack-her favorite. He broke two off. A bottle was unscrewed. He turned and began to soundlessly open drawers. The thick liquid was poured into the spoon. Frowning, he carefully swirled it into the pudding. Then, taking a bottle of ibuprofen pills, he crushed two up and mixed those into the second cup.

He shook her gently awake. She groaned and rolled over. Her eyes fluttered open; he could scarcely breathe.

"Oh, Haa-san…you came." She sat up and stretched. One cup of pudding in each hand, he set them carefully on the coffee table. He went back to the kitchen to find another spoon.

"I see you drank the four bottles I told you to," he said, returning. "Do you know why I had you drink Gatorade?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Now was a time to quiz her. She smiled at him.

"Gatorade, apart from being a liquid which washes out viruses and such from systems, also replaces lost nutrients." She beamed at him. She was good. _Very_ good; he now remembered why he had chosen her as his intern-she was extremely intelligent. He smiled and she knew that she had been right.

"Now, open up," he told her, taking a pudding cup in his hand, along with a spoon. She stared at him.

"You know, Hatori, I can feed myself." He smiled slightly.

"I do this with all my patients, Kana-chan. Just because you're my intern, doesn't mean that you're getting off the hook." She laughed.

"I'm honored, but I'm serious, Hatori, give me the spoo-" He took advantage of her talking and shoved the pudding into her mouth.

"Chew slowly, swallow even more so." Kana followed his instructions dutifully. She smiled.

"Triple chocolate. My favorite-again." She was watching him curiously. He smiled.

"You talk a lot." She laughed hard, and then began to cough even harder. When she settled down, she closed her eyes as she sunk into the couch.

"It tastes strange," she commented as he spooned her more. He held up the bottle of medicine. She hastily read the label.

"That eases stomach convulsions," she said, slightly surprised. "Hatori-kun… how'd you get this?" she asked suspiciously. He chuckled.

"Akito caught a stomach virus over the summer. I have connections at the hospitals. Now, finish this pudding." He handed her the near empty first cup and the full second. She made a face before choking it down, even slower than before.

The two empty pudding cups sat on the coffee table. Hatori opened the door, arms full of take-out food. He moodily dropped it on the kitchen table. Kana tore her eyes away from the television to smile at him. He caught her eyes, and she turned back, blushing furiously. Her favorite movie was in. It was about a woman who quit her job at a hair salon to open her own. It was extremely funny, even though she normally didn't swear this much, or take an enormous interest in looks. It was her third time watching it that day. Grumbling, she turned it off and began to surf. She stopped on the Discovery Health channel, another favorite. Hatori sat down carefully next to her, causing her to jump. He held out a dish of food (very little) and chopsticks. Then he reached under the coffee table to pull out and open a melon Gatorade, which he also passed to her. Kana ate slowly. She had virtually no appetite. She leaned forward eagerly to watch an autopsy. He sighed.

"I might have to leave soon. It is three." She turned to him.

"_You_ were the one who insisted on staying this long in the first place." They laughed.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Don't bother calling me unless you get any worse. I'll see you soon, hopefully." He took her hand, gazed gently into her eyes, and squeezed it. He stood, picked up his things, put the rest of the food in the fridge, and left with a small "goodbye." She sighed and turned back to the autopsy.

Thursday, Hatori was frowning over a file when the door flew open and Momiji bounced in.

"Hallo, Hari!" he cried. Hatori smiled.

"Need help with math?" he asked. Momiji shook his head and looked around.

"Where's Kana-chan?" he asked. "Is she sick? Did she leave?" Hatori shook his head.

"She's out with the flu."

"Oh. Wanna help me with science?" Hatori laughed.

"I have no choice, apparently. Here, let's see…"

"You know," Momiji said quietly, "Kana-kun's really nice. I like her. I think you really like her too, Hari." Hatori froze, staring at the page in front of him blankly. Damn! Was he really that obvious? Momiji smiled. "But that's only because I've never seen you act like that around someone like that before. She's like spring in the winter. All the things that you have built up inside are not so cold and foreboding now. She's good for you, Hari. I know I'm probably making you mad, but you really are hiding it well - your emotions." Hatori looked up and smiled.

"I think…I hope…that you're correct, Momiji. She is like spring… especially to me."

_It becomes spring…_

"Okay, back to your science," he said, sitting up quickly. Momiji took Kana's usual chair and began to fire out questions, which Hatori responded to just as quickly. The boy smiled. Hari might not be over emotional, but he still was a great 'father.' Or maybe more of a 'brother.' But whatever he was, he was the only family Momiji had. And that was fine with the both of them.

Friday morning, Kana unlocked the office. She put tea in the pot to brew, and sat down at her desk. A small stack of folders lay there, slightly straighter than when she had left, but otherwise the same. She smiled as she clicked open a pen and began to work. She had gotten through two folders when the door opened and a good deal of snow flew in, along with Hatori. He turned and shut the door hard against the next blast of icy wind. Wiping his forehead, he spied Kana.

She smiled inwardly. He was the same as before: black pants, white shirt, blue tie and a grey vest with a white lab coat. His blue-green eyes widened in surprise.

"Ah… Kana-chan! I see you're feeling better…" he trailed off, not sure what to say. He made his way to his desk and draped the coat over the chair; the same as before. Kana blushed as he sat and turned to face her. His face was a bit pinker than usual as well. He ran a hand through his hair. She smiled.

"Thank you Hatori, for everything you did for me. I appreciate it. And…about the shouting…I'm sorry. It was an awkward time…" her face reddened more. His eyes smiled at her, and she did so back. He turned to the computer. Flipping it on, he checked the time.

"Ahh, I was late," he said absentmindedly. It was 10:30. She giggled.

"Not really... You were just on time instead of being so early." His lips flicked upward.

"I guess so."

The next hour passed uneventfully. When 11:30 struck, Kana felt her stomach squeeze uncomfortably. She shifted and set aside her work. Hatori turned to watch her as her belly grumbled. She laughed.

"Oh, I'm so hungry!" she laughed. He did too. "I think today, we should celebrate my coming back with take out!" she declared, laughing. Hatori was suddenly hit with an idea. _Go out to lunch_! It _was_ a great idea… He stood. He walked the three steps over to Kana's desk and felt his arm extend. It was as if it had a mind of its own as his hand reached out for hers, took it gently, and intertwined with her fingers. She stood as he pulled her along. Their eyes locked and they blushed. But he kept going. What the hell?! His body was rebelling against his mind. To tell the truth, he didn't mind it. He smiled as she followed him out the door.

"Come on… let's go out for lunch." His smile pierced her heart. She smiled right back and squeezed the hand holding hers. It squeezed back, gently towing her along. They walked like that all the way to his car. Unfortunately, they had to let go, else Haa-san wouldn't be able to drive. He was one of those people who drove with both hands on the wheel at a time. So was she, when she drove.

The shop was three-fourths full when they got there. As they ordered, Kana found herself shifting uncomfortably. It felt like a date. Hatori found himself thinking the same things. Was it a date? Was it really just lunch? His head hurt from thinking too hard about it. She watched worriedly.

"Hatori-kun, are you feeling alright? Does your head hurt?" she reached across the table to feel around his eyes and temples and neck. He took his hand away, and shut his eyes instead. His eyebrows were slanted as if stressed. She took her hands away.

"You're glands aren't swollen…do you think you got my flu?" she cried suddenly. He laughed unexpectedly.

"I don't get sick, Kana-chan. Thank you for checking though. Your technique is quite professional. It's just…thinking. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. And I do believe Akito is getting ill." He played with a sugar packet. She smiled.

"If you want… you can take care of Akito and I'll do some of your jobs for you," she offered. He stopped twirling the sugar. Their eyes met.

"Maybe. Not all of my work. There are some confidential things… but, I guess if you really want to, you can help. I would appreciate it." They smiled.

"Done." The food came, and they found themselves politely eating as fast as they could. Kana was ravenous. Three days without eating anything completely solid had taken its toll. Her tako was gone, and her stomach full. Hatori was purposefully plucking away at his rice. She sipped her drink and waited. He finished and flagged the waiter. She scurried over and scooped up the yen, taking it back to the register. Kana grinned at him, and he returned it. The waitress hurried back.

"You are free to go. Thank you!" Hatori nodded to her and stood. He waited as Kana got up from her chair. They walked out together, and soon forgot the troubles that had weighed on their minds minutes ago as Kana unconsciously slipped her hand into his. The air was cold, and snow swirled around them. As much as Kana wanted to go back to the office and warm up over tea and conversation, she _really_ wanted to walk around hand-in-hand with Haa-san. So they took their time getting back to the car.

Back at the office, it was warm, and they did talk over tea. Gently, carefully, not really about anything in particular, but they did talk. Work was hard to concentrate on. Kana felt her eyes wander off the page to Hatori's back. She smiled. He turned, and they flew back to her sheet. He stood and walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder. His eyes gazed out the window, following the snow as it drifted downward. He smiled.

"Here comes Momiji-kun," he said quietly. The blonde-haired boy was running and skipping down the walkway, books in arms. Hatori left to get the door.

"Kana-chan! You're back!" he cried, skidding into the room and collapsing in Hatori's chair. The man made a face.

"What are you doing?" he laughed. "You get the desk or the examination table. You're lighter than I am." Kana giggled. So did Momiji as Hatori dumped him onto the floor. His books flew everywhere. Kana bent down to help them pick the papers up. She and Hatori reached for the same sheet, and their hands brushed. Surprised, he and Kana jerked back. Momiji watched form the corner of his eye and smiled as they apologized. They both reached for it again, but his time Hatori caught her hand and gently played with her fingers as he got the page. They were oblivious to him as his smile widened. Kana was the spring that Hatori needed. And Momiji knew just what to do to help her out.

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A/N: I don't know if Gatorade does that, or if the pudding would help. There is stuff that cuts nausea though. (By the way, I don't own any of that stuff either.) _Please! Review!_** I don't know if Gatorade does that, or if the pudding would help. There is stuff that cuts nausea though. (By the way, I don't own any of that stuff either.) 


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** This chapter's from Kana's point of view. I think I made her too poetic.

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I was falling in love. I had always heard people talk about how wonderful it was. Life seemed to revolve around love. And now I knew why. It _was_ wonderful; it was the best feeling I have ever experienced. I had liked people. But I have _never_ felt this way about anyone but him.

Those blue-green eyes…I can't help but drown in them. When he looks at me, I see it burning in his eyes too. Love; we're both filled to the brim with it. I can only imagine when it might spill over. I know that every day we both come closer and closer to it…and I hope it is soon. I think I might go mad if he doesn't embrace me, or even kiss my cheek.

Hatori Sohma is so perfect. Every word, every deed, every hair on his head is just right. And he's doing everything he can to make himself more perfect for me. The way he and Momiji-kun laugh and work, the way we sit on the floor and eat lunch together is bliss for the both of us.

After the Friday we went out to lunch, I felt myself become overly careful. Careful not to touch him, or watch him. We were cautious around each other. After a week it faded back to normal. It's even more wonderful than before; I now come in early to help with work, and he to help Akito. Before he sits at his desk, he places his hand on my shoulder. And I place my hand on his. Sometimes it comes with a "good morning" and sometimes a squeeze. But the fact that we're touching just makes my head spin.

I think about 'us' all the time. It almost doesn't have a chance. Hatori is so indifferent at times it seems that no emotion reaches him. Others, he is ever so slightly showing off every emotion that touches him. Those days I am hopeful. The others, I feel empty, lonely. Once, he walked out as Momiji came in, without a word to either of us. The stony silence scared me. But then Momiji-kun began to talk. I remember it well.

"Hari's in a bad mood today. It's probably Akito. He's always enjoyed crushing people between his fingers, throwing out insults just to see their face fall. It's worse for Hari. He's always been more aloof than Aya-kun or Gure-san. Everything that happens, good or bad, he takes in and clings to it. It's like an ice storm in his mind. He never lets anything out. It just blows around and around, depressing him.

"You are special, Kana. You have the kind of personality that people love. You can get them to open up and share. To Hatori, who is frozen and alone, you're spring. You are melting away everything surrounding him. You're able to touch him and help him. Not many people can do that. Not many people are bold enough. He is slow to anger, and just as slow to trust. But I can tell he trusts you. I can see it in his eyes."

Momiji-kun is such a strange boy. He is related to Hatori, them both being Sohmas. I am too, though extremely distantly. But they have a brother to brother relationship; almost father-son. I mean to ask about it, but I am afraid it might hurt them. I am glad to help them. I really am. But I wish there was something more. Maybe love will appear soon? I hope so. I am getting desperate.

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A/N: Ah, it's over. I don't really like writing in first person… unless it's Mayu. You'll meet her later, inevitably. Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** I love this chapter… it's so sweet! And it includes my math homework! How fun… sarcastic smile I love algebra… _please realize I'm joking_…

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Hatori shut the door quietly behind him. Kana was sitting at her desk, silently working. He sighed noiselessly and rubbed his forehead. Akito was quite ill. It was January and frigid. He was lucky that the head had been able to get through the New Year's Eve celebrations. Now he had a violent fever of one hundred five and was vomiting at the slightest drop of water and food.

He whipped off his coat and squeezed Kana's shoulder. She touched his hand lightly and began to rub it. It felt like ice to the touch. Tingling shot through his arm and he shivered. His heart beat faster. Gently he pulled the hand out from under her grasp.

"How's Akito?" she asked softly as he turned on his machine and blew warm air onto his freezing fingers. He frowned, eyebrows bent sharply. She loved to watch his expression; so beautiful…

"He's caught the flu. _Much_ worse than yours. Fever's spiked 105, dry heaves…he's got nothing left to vomit," he said wryly, clicking open his account on the machine. He turned to face her.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to spend most of the day with him. I'll stay late again to catch up on work." He stood, and made to pat her shoulder while putting on his coat. He had misjudged slightly. Kana blushed furiously and the back of his hand brushed her cheek. He stared, unsure of what he had just done. Heat rose to his cheeks as well. He turned without a word and left.

The work blurred. She sighed and rubbed her eyes. Hatori had stayed late for the past three nights. Part of it was to be nearer to Akito, and the other to work. The poor head of the family was losing ground against his ailment. His condition had rapidly decreased since the day before. Naturally Hatori was worried. If only she could help…

Lunch rolled around. Hatori stood from his crouch on the floor, rubbing his back and moving his legs. Akito was at least asleep. He tossed frequently, uncomfortable and troubled. He opened the door and beckoned to a maid.

"Just watch him. If he needs anything, I'll be in my office." With that, he turned and strode down the halls. Turning a corner, he caught himself just as Kana ran right into him. Fear. _This is where it all comes crashing down…_

"Oh, Hatori, I'm so sorry! I was just coming to get you for lunch!" she cried. He hadn't transformed! He smiled beckoned for her to follow and took off down the walkway. Laughing. _Laughing! _She followed, utterly confused.

They sat on the floor in his office again, backs to the large leather chairs. Hatori closed his eyes. He was so very tired. Kana watched, frowning. Then an idea struck.

"You're staying late again tonight, aren't you, Hatori?" she asked. He opened an eye for a moment before nodding and closing it. She smiled. "I was thinking…I might stay with you." He sat up fast, looking her in the eyes. He was surprised. Kana wanted to stay with him while he plodded through meaningless, boring work. To tell the truth, he really did want her to stay…

"If you really want to, sure. I'll just be working, but I really would appreciate it if you did." He gave a wan smile which she returned in full.

"Of course! I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to stay!" His smile lightened.

"Thank you."

The day crawled by. Hatori stopped in occasionally, mainly to check on her. Momiji came as well. She took a small bar of chocolate from him and chewed, thinking. Eventually, the boy broke through and convinced her to have some fun. They laughed, secretly changed the desktop background on Hatori's computer, and lowered his chair (he was very tall). Well, mostly Momiji, but Kana had helped him choose the background (it went from plain blue to hot pink with stars) and find the lever on the chair. By the time they finally got around to the homework, an hour and a half had past. Still sprawled out on the floor from rolling around laughing, Kana pulled his books over to them.

"Okay, the first problem says, 'place the equation in slope-intercept form.' Slope intercept form is y mx + b, m being slope, and b being the y intercept. And the current equation is 5x +2y 10. 'Kay, first, subtract 5x…" she watched as he did. "Now you have 2y -5x +10. Now, to put it into the slope intercept form, y has to be by itself. So, divide everything by two. What did you get?" she finished, smiling. He grinned and lifted his paper to show her.

"Y -5/2x +5!" he cried. She laughed.

"Very good! Now for the next problem. The directions are the same; the problem is just different. 4x +3y 7. Subtract 4x… good, 3y -4x +7. Divide by three. You should have y -4/3x + 7/3." His answer was identical to hers. They continued for about twenty minutes. Momiji's algebra grade was shooting upward with two "geniuses" helping him. Actually, Hatori hadn't been as available to help him lately. Kana was like a blessing. He was actually able to understand the math that they were explaining to him.

"Ah, the directions change here," Kana told him absentmindedly. "Now, you have to put these equations, which are currently in slope intercept form, into standard form. Basically, standard form is Ax + By C. There are no fractions or decimals, and the front term _can not_ be negative. Your first problem is y 1/2x + 3. To get rid of all your fractions, use what?" she asked. He smiled.

"Elimination! Find a number all of the denominators go into and then multiply everything by it!" She smiled back.

"Good job. So, two goes into what? I'd do two. So, now that your fractions are gone, you have 2y x + 6. Subtract x to get –x + 2y 6. There are no fractions and no decimals, but your front term is negative. Fix it by multiplying everything by negative one. So, now your final equation is x – 2y -6." She watched him, eyelids drooping. How she was going to make it late, she had no idea. Momiji smiled.

"Thanks! I'm finally getting it. You can check it later. I'll work while you sleep." He laughed at her bewildered look. "You're exhausted. I can see it in your eyes. The chair on the right is the one Hari usually sits in. It reclines." He winked at her she smiled and nodded gratefully as she stood and popped out the foot rest on the cushy leather chair. The moment she collapsed into the soft upholstery, every bone seemed to sigh in relief. Momiji smiled as he watched her drift off.

An hour later, Hatori entered his office to find Momiji and his books sprawled out all over the floor and Kana asleep in his favorite chair. He stepped carefully over the boy and collapsed into the chair in front of his computer. He flicked the mouse to wake it up, twirling as he waited. He stopped dead. _Hot pink._ His background was _hot pink_. And his knees, now that he realized it, were up to his chest. Brows snapped together with mild annoyance, he turned to face the boy, raising the chair as he did so.

"Momiji." The grinning boy turned to face him. Hatori raised an eyebrow and gestured to the screen. Momiji couldn't contain it anymore. With a crazed whoop, he was gasping for breath as laughter shook him. He rolled around on the thick rug, nearly choking himself with laughter.

"K-k-ana, we d-did i-t!" he gasped loudly as he tried to get his maniacal laughing under control. The woman sat up with a start, eyes wide. It took her a minute to realize what was happening and where she was as she flung her head around frantically. Hatori managed to bypass Momiji to get to her.

"You're in my office," he said gently. It took a minute for it to sink in. then she giggled. He cracked a smile.

"Oh, Haa-san, if only you knew!" she laughed. He chuckled slightly.

"Knew that my background had been changed to a ridiculous shade of pink and my chair shrunken by my assistant and second cousin?" he laughed. She blushed, but kept laughing. A strange gleam was in his eyes.

"Would you mind changing it back?" he asked. She shook her head and tried to stand up.

"Hatori!" she shrieked as her knees buckled. He caught her quickly. She sat on the floor and rubbed her legs vigorously.

"They fell asleep," she laughed. He smiled.

"Come on Momiji, you're changing my background _right now._" Momiji smiled.

"Aw, but Hari, it's so pretty!" he laughed. The man glared at him.

"_Now._"

Hatori and Momiji brought back three trays from the kitchens. The boy sat on the floor with them, chatting and flicking peas at them when he got bored. Kana flinched as one hit her cheek. Hatori stood and went back by to the computers. He came back with a scalpel in hand. He sat down and faced the boy.

"Flick one more pea and I'll slice you open," he said, somehow keeping his voice straight. Momiji stuck his tongue out and finished all his peas. Kana was watching Hatori with horror. He winked at her when he saw her expression. It faded when she realized he had been joking. Momiji wolfed down the rest of dinner and pulled a packet of cards and some small chocolates out of his pocket. Kana looked at the two of them questioningly.

"Time for Spoon!" Momiji cried. Kana stared blankly at him. "It's an American game," he told her. "I found it on the internet." She smiled.

"Well, let's try it. But may I ask… Where are the spoons?"

Momiji left at eight. Spoon had turned out to be quite fun. Now Kana and Hatori sat at their desks hard at work. At least trying to be. Kana could not concentrate. Her thoughts kept drifting all over. Hatori was surprisingly focused, scribbling away fervently. She shivered. It felt like all of the windows were wide open and the icy wind was whipping around the two of them. She rested her head on the desk. Hatori was absorbed in his work. She smiled. He loved his job and was enthusiastic about even the annoying paperwork. He really was an amazing doctor. An amazing man. Amazingly good looking. Amazingly kind. And amazingly troubled. She could sense it, just like Momiji-kun had said; he was storing everything. She wondered how he could live like that. A tear plopped onto the paper underneath her head.

"I want to help you, Hari. I'm going to help you. And fall in love." The whisper made her smile. She doubted the last sentence. But she couldn't help but dream. Hatori… His face floated in front of hers as she closed her eyes. It was the last thing she saw, in fact, as sleep overtook her.

Hatori stretched and checked his Rolex. 9:00. He turned, slightly confused as to why Kana had been so silent. He smiled as he saw her asleep, head in her arms on her desk. Then she shivered. Frowning, he stood out of the chair and picked up his coat off the back. Gently, he draped it over her sleeping form. He smiled to himself as it settled over her.

She was so beautiful. He didn't deserve her! Her sandy golden hair, front strands clipped back from her ever smiling face slipped through is fingers as he toyed with it. He realized what he was doing and stopped. Turning slightly pinker than normal, he sat back down to work just a little more…

Kana sat up, bleary eyed. She watched as the white lab coat that had been draped so lovingly over her shoulders fell. Hatori turned and smiled.

"Ah, good, you're awake! I'm almost done. Give me a minute and then I'll drive you home." She blushed. He patted her hand before turning back to his work.

The ride back to her apartment was a happy one. Even though they didn't say much, the fact that they were sitting so close to each other made them giddy. Hatori tried in vain to push it away and focus on the road. But he totally abandoned it when she smiled at him and thanked him. Still watching through the windshield, he smiled. He parked easily, got out, and opened the door for her. With a slight bow and a perfectly straight face, he bid her goodnight. And with a blush and a rush of courageous senselessness, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek before stepping lightly into the lobby. It was by the hand of a greater being that Hatori made it home safely, spellbound by her goodnight gesture.

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A/N: Well? Did you like it? It's kinda fluffy right now. Don't worry. It'll get angst-y about… ten chapters or so from now. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Yay, Momiji's POV! Just as a warning, it gets gooey. And it's not in his POV the _whole_ chapter, thank goodness. That kid's just too happy.

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Today is Valentine's Day! I'm so excited. I have the _perfect_ plan for Hari and Kana. They'd be so much happier together. I can feel it! I spent nearly all my money on the chocolates and the bag. But I'll get it back. Probably by bugging Hari for it, but that's not important right now.

It's so cold out! I love to run fast, especially when it's snowing. His office is warm. Hopefully I won't be late for school after this, but I did get up extra early for it. It has to be perfect. Every single part.

The door flew open.

"Hari! Kana!" Momiji stood in the doorway, snow swirling around him. He was wearing a school uniform and was wearing his backpack. In his hand was –good gosh- a pink bag. _One_ pink bag.

"It's Valentine's Day! So I bought you a treat!" he cried, slamming the door and beckoning them over. He placed the bag on the floor. "It's tons of chocolate. I would have put in two separate bags, but I figured that you two would wanna share anyway." He winked. "Bye! Have fun!" the door slammed behind him. Hatori and Kana stared blankly at it. Then it sunk in.

"Damn," Hatori muttered, hand to forehead. Kana looked up at him, puzzled.

"What does he mean by wanting to share?" she asked suspiciously. He shook his head more.

"We might as well open the bag and find out," he sighed, sitting carefully on the floor. Kana sat across from him and dumped it out on the rug.

Chocolate; virtually every kind imaginable. There were candy hearts with gooey sayings on them, jellybeans (_jellybeans?!_), candy-coated chocolate, chocolate on sticks, bags of individual chocolates, mini boxes with five different filled chocolates, cherry heart suckers, a _giant_ chocolate bar (two pounds 0.o), and finally two cards. One read 'Hatori,' the other 'Kana.' They reached for their respective cards and read them, intrigued.

'_Happy valentine's day Hari! I want you to know that you are the best brother I could ask for. You've done so much for me, and now it's time for me to do something for you. I know you like Kana, Hari. I would even go as far as to say that you love her. She really likes you too, Hari. She loves you back. She wants to calm the blizzard. I agree. I believe that it is time for spring to touch you heart. But it can't. Not unless you give it a chance. The choice is yours; but remember: an opportunity like this might never come again. You have my encouragement and my prayers at your back. Love from Momiji!_'

Hatori stared at the note. _The choice is yours; it might never come again._ He took a shaky breath, heart hammering against his rib cage. Kana touched his hand. She stared into his eyes.

"Are… are you alright, Hatori?" she asked. He nodded.

"What… what did your note say?" he asked. She smiled.

"It thanked me for being so supportive, and for being good at math. It also said that he was glad I came. Why? What did yours say?" she asked, curious and slightly worried.

_Deep breath. Just do it. Do it…DO IT!_ screamed his mind. He took a deep breath, summoning all his courage. He looked her square in the eyes and leaned in. His lips touched hers; he kept them there, heart beating so loudly he swore she could hear it. Fire coursed through him. He pushed slightly more, so that it sunk in: Hatori Sohma was kissing her! The same fire roared through her veins. His hand touched her cheek gently. She grabbed his wrist, not believing it. It was over too soon. Both of them were breathing like they'd just run marathons.

"That's what it said. It told me to… to kiss you." She gaped at him for a moment, then, as if in slow motion, kissed him back. She pulled away quickly; and awkward silence ensued.

"So…erm… do you…wanna do lunch?" he asked, turning slightly pink. She smiled, blushing as well.

"Of course!"

He sifted through the mounds of candy. He settled on the candy hearts and a chocolate on a stick. He stood, taking Kana by the hand as well. He touched his forehead to hers; their noses touched as well.

"Thank you Kana. You… you're like spring to me. You are my escape." He kissed her nose. "Now, eat some chocolate and get to work. It's a long time until lunch." She could have sworn he'd just winked at her. She picked through the chocolate as he walked slowly into the work area. Hatori popped open the box of candy hearts and crunched on one. An idea bloomed. He emptied the whole thing onto his desk. He picked through them until he found the one he wanted. Making sure Kana wasn't looking, he placed it in the middle of her desk. Pink against the dark wood and manila folders was highly visible. Smiling, he retreated to his desk.

Kana was chewing on the jellybeans and candy coated chocolates as she sat down at her desk. Hatori was smiling to himself as he worked. She turned back to her desk. There was something small, pink, and heart-shaped sitting there. Curious, she picked it up and examined it closely. In tiny red letters, it read 'I love you.' Her breath caught in her chest. Tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I love you too," she sobbed. Hatori wheeled around in surprise. He scooted his chair over and placed an arm around her shoulders smiling.

"Don't cry. It's alright." She nodded and gave him a very watery smile.

"For some reason, I don't think I'll be getting much work done today," she sniffed. He laughed.

"Nor will I. Don't worry." She wiped her eyes on the handkerchief he held out for her. He scooted back to his desk and held up a small stack of papers as if in a salute.

"Until lunch," he said with a wry smile. She giggled.

"Until lunch."

Lunch couldn't come fast enough. Hatori worked through nearly everything on his desk and offered to do hers. He ended up not being able to take no for an answer, and finished most of that as well. At twelve, he took her hand and his bag to give Akito his medicine. The head was doing much better now. Apparently, he'd gotten off worse before. The doctor had dark thoughts swirling through his head as he entered Akito's pitch black room.

"Ah, Hatori… come to give me something for these ridiculous cramps I see." Hatori knelt carefully. So did Akito. His long fingers tilted his chin to meet his eyes. Cold dark eyes that knew no love. He stared back. "Well?" he snapped.

"Yes, Akito-san. This will help." He popped open a bottle and handed him a tiny pill with a small bottle of water. He frowned and gulped it down with all of his other pills. He met his eyes slowly.

"Hatori…I'm turning nineteen in a few months." He frowned. Where the head was going with this… "Will this…stuff end then?" he asked, eyes hurting. Oh. Of course. Akito's secret identity was strained; he hated the difficulty of trying to hide it under monthly circumstances.

"When you are older. Long from now, Akito." he trembled.

"No…I'll have to put up with this forever, wont' I?" he whispered. "You're just telling me that I'm going to die before it would it will naturally go! It will leave long after I turn thirty…" Hatori was tired.

"I can't make any promises. You're sick so often that you probably won't have to worry about it too much… but now, Akito, I have business to attend to." He stood. Akito did too.

"Of course. Hatori Sohma is always busy," he spat, disgust written all over his face. "Go attend to your business, _Hatori._ I won't intrude anymore than I must. But remember," he breathed malevolently. "You live to serve me. You're my puppet. If I want you to ignore your _business,_ then you will. If not…" he drew a careful line across his throat. "then I'll never forgive you. Goodbye." As Hatori turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something. He refaced the head.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he told him softly and left Akito staring, surprised, in his wake.

He shuddered and walked away. Akito was having mood swings, but was still serious. Deadly serious. Kana slipped her hand into his, worry mirrored in all her features. He smiled, and she relaxed.

"So…where do you wanna go for lunch?" she asked as he opened the car door for her. He shrugged. "Oh…well, that last place was good!" He smiled.

"Great." He buckled his seat belt and turned the keys.

Lunch was much less awkward for the both of them. The food was shared, the walk was long, and now they were asleep on the floor. The mound of chocolate was much smaller than it had been. And Momiji couldn't be happier as he bounced in and found them laying on the floor, holding hands, Kana's head to Hari's chest. He smiled and hummed to himself as his math homework flew by.

Hatori's eyes fluttered opened and mild shock overtook him as he realized that he was lying on the floor, Kana was holding his hand and had her head against his chest. He sat up, face showing nothing. Momiji giggled.

"Hari, you've got carpet marks all over your face!" he laughed. The man fixed him with a glare that could kill. Momiji laughed it off. Hari wasn't the greatest person after waking up. "It worked! You took my advice! Aren't you proud of yourself, Hari?" he asked as Hatori stood. All of his six feet and five inches was perfectly posed. Then he turned to Momiji. Rolling up a shirt sleeve, he bent down to eye level. Momiji laughed as he flexed his powerful arms. Hari had been active in high school. But nobody could ever tell because he always wore long-sleeved shirts.

"I ought to squeeze the life out of you," he said, voice and face perfectly straight. But then he straightened, and ruffled Momiji's hair. "Except I like you too much. And I couldn't do that to my brother." Momiji stared at him.

"Brother…" his eyes glistened. Hatori hugged him. "You must be feeling quite loving today, Hari," he said, voice muffled by the perfectly white shirt. Hatori let go and stared him down. Kana really was a good influence; Hatori had thawed tremendously.

"It is Valentine's Day," he said quietly. "Now, let me check your math." He sat down. Watching Kana as Momiji gathered all his papers, he found himself smiling. _Thank you for being there, Kana. Thank you for being my spring._

_I've been housing all this doubt,_

_And insecurity,_

_And I've been locked inside that house,_

_All while you hold the key,_

_And I've been dying to get out,_

_And it might the death of me,_

_And even though_

_There's no way of knowing where to go_

_Promise I'm going because_

_Hoo-oo, gotta get out of here,_

_I've been stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake_

_Hoo-oo gotta get out of here,_

_And I'm begging you,_

_Begging you,_

_Begging you to be my escape_

_Relient K: Be my Escape_

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A/N: Awww! So sweet… How do you like Relient K? They're pretty cool. Not as cool as Sanctus Real, though. Sorry boys.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Well, this is certainly scary. I personally researched this. Aren't you proud?! I am… Anyway, Hatori goes out on a date! OMG!!! Of course, his best friends have to crash it…

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Kana walked through the door of the office and had barely taken her heels off when she was nearly swept off her feet by a cheerful Hatori. He kissed her twice before letting go. She grabbed his shoulder to keep from falling over. His hands steadied her as she straightened. He looked away, slightly embarrassed. 

"I'm sorry…I … it's just that I need to calm down. Akito… is coughing blood." The last sentence sent chills racing down her spine. "I am probably going to be away most of the day… man the phone. I'll need you to get on the computer, rummage through cabinets… I don't know. You can help, Kana. You're intelligent, and it's always good to have a second opinion." He sighed and directed his gaze towards the floor. He turned and grabbed his bag, much fuller now. Taking her hand, he kissed her one last time before leaving. She stared at the door and made up her mind. Research was calling.

Kana, it turned out, spent most of the day running from the office to Akito's room and back. Hatori looked absolutely exhausted and totally stumped. The man's violent coughing spurts could be heard through the closed door. Kana was near panicking. A number of conditions involved this, and Hatori had checked all that came to mind. She gave up working and paced.

He came out and rubbed her shoulders, wondering if it would be too much to ask that she get them a large bowl of soba to share. With a smile she set off for the kitchens. The soba was perfect, and when they could, they enjoyed eating it together. It was gone too quickly, and Kana decided to go back to the office. Hatori bid her goodbye with a tired squeeze of the shoulder and a wan smile. It hurt to see him stumped like this. She'd been working sporadically when the phone exploded into rings. She snatched it up in a flash.

"Sohma family doctor's office, how may I help you?" she asked, becoming the epitome of secretarial workings.

"Kana…it's Hatori. Akito is slightly miffed that I'm 'wasting my time' on him. Not to mention he wants to meet you, so… he's insisted that I move him to the office." She blinked. _Here?_ Surely not! "Get the mattress out of the storage closet; there's sheets and stuff in there too. I need a bucket…" he continued to name off supplies as she scurried around gathering them. "Oh, Kana, there's one more thing." She stopped, standing on a chair, reaching for the extra large pillow. "_We cannot, for the love of the each other, even for a moment appear that we are 'together.'_ _Do you understand_?" he asked, voice dangerous.

"Y-yes, Hatori. May I ask why?" she questioned him.

"I'll tell you later. He's upset that I'm talking too long on the phone. I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up; she found herself trembling uncontrollably for no apparent reason.

Hatori shivered in the harsh March wind as he carefully carried Akito to his office. The man had his head buried deep in Hatori's chest, and shivered though wrapped in the white lab coat of the man carrying him. Hatori's arms ached slightly; he carried Akito around quite a bit. He raised a near numb fist and knocked lightly on the door. It flew open to reveal a very worried Kana. She smiled.

"Oh, good, you got here okay. I set up the bed and everything for you, Akito-san," she said, bowing. The head stirred and peered down at her from his high vantage point. Hatori laid him on the mattress and arranged the pillows and blankets. Akito waved him away impatiently. He scanned Kana with critical eyes. She made a nervous dip of the head and he smiled. His voice was raspy.

"My, my, what a lovely girl. I have heard not _nearly_ enough about you, Kana-kun." He smiled at her and she blushed lightly. "I _do_ know, however that you are extremely intelligent, hard working, and now, quite pretty." She gave him a tentative smile.

"Thank you, Akito-san. I feel unworthy of your praise." Her head dipped in respect. Hatori shifted uncomfortably. Akito was known to put on a good face and be friendly in front of strangers. The head, however, laughed off her last comment lightly. Not a second afterwards, he began to cough fiercely. Hatori rushed over to help. Small splatters of blood flew. Suddenly, Kana had an idea. She bent down and looked at Hatori.

"May I look at his-your-throat?" she asked. Akito nodded and opened. Taking the light from Hatori, she peered down. Frowning, she asked him to listen to Akito's lungs. Hatori did for her.

"Raspy breathing…" he trailed off as Kana smiled. Straightening, she proudly proclaimed her discovery.

"I know what is wrong!" They stared.

"Well, don't just stand there, girl, spit it out," Akito snapped. She apologized rapidly before taking a deep breath.

"Akito-san's coughing is the cause of the blood. The cause of his cough-the raspy breathing. His bronchial tubes are swollen near shut, making it hard to breathe, hence the cough, hence the blood. His throat is merely irritated so badly that it is bleeding. Akito has bronchitis." She smiled slightly at their reactions. Hatori looked upset and amazed, Akito irritated and impatient. Then the head smiled.

"Hatori chooses his interns well. Now, _do_ something for this affliction, _doctor,_" he snapped. Hatori opened the cabinets over the desks and pushed aside other medications to find the right one. He pulled a bottle of water out of his bag as well.

"You're lucky," he told Akito. "This is one month away from expiring. I'm going to need a refill anyways, so I'll write it up for you. In the mean time," he handed the man a pill and the bottle, "take this. And then one puff of an inhaler which I have right…here," he instructed carefully. Akito followed them obediently, but there was no mistaking his iciness toward them both. Eventually, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. It was then that Kana was really able to examine him.

Akito had black-as-night hair with some shine to it. He turned to his side, frowning in his sleep. The face was rather feminine, eyes covered by long dark bangs. His hair was longer in the front than the back; the longest strands reached down to his chin. She was glad that he was asleep; his eyes were icy, spiteful and dark. There was almost a sad feeling in his aura. But it was covered with anger and loathing. She wondered what his mother felt like; he _was_ someone's son. Maybe it was her fault that he was like this. To tell the truth, Akito barely looked older than eighteen.

Hatori came up behind her as she peered down at the sickly head. She turned around, surprised. His face was indifferent as he watched the sleeping body in front of him. Then he spoke.

"Few people ever experience Akito's wrath the first time they meet him. He's hot tempered and rarely happy. Don't be fooled into thinking that he possibly enjoys or likes you. No doubt, I'll be given crap about how ugly and hopeless you are after this is over. I'll be lucky to get out without some type of scratch or bruise for my ignorance. For my allowance of being bested by a _woman_." His face was still perfectly straight as he spoke, though Kana could feel his frustration fan out and fill the room.

Sadness washed over her. Life for the Sohmas so close to Akito must be difficult. She herself was barely connected to the family and had no idea Hatori had ever existed before her internship. She smiled as she thought. How she could she have been so ill informed? She had heard about him, yes, but had never spoken to him. The though of never haven spoken to him now made her crazy. Life without Hatori would not be life at all.

She turned and brushed her lips against his. He started, apparently pulling out of a daze. Making sure Akito was fast asleep, he kissed her back. Then, draping an arm around her shoulders, he steered her toward the desks. His face was still perfectly hiding all emotion.

"How about dinner tonight? I can cook somewhat…or we can play it safe and go out," he winked at her. She smiled, thinking about Hatori cooking. Stifling a laugh (Haa-san cooking didn't fit at all), she shrugged.

"I know a really good place," she offered. "Mayu and I have gone there quite a bit. Their food is really amazing." Hatori looked slightly confused.

"Who's Mayu?" he asked. She smiled and apologized.

"Ah, she's my best friend. We've been good since college. I told her a bit about you. Not that we're together or anything, I haven't told anyone except my parents that, but just what an amazing doctor that you are and stuff." she paused and smiled. "Mayu's parents own a book store. She helps them out a lot, when she's got free time. She's a teacher at Kaibara High School. But the store has got _tons_ of books, Hatori, and many of them are the kind you like! I think…she'd like to meet you, Hatori." He blinked. Books, Kana's best friend and more books. That sounded slightly risky, but there was no reason why he couldn't meet this Mayu. He smiled at her.

"That can be arranged." The smile that followed was the best thing that had happened to him all day.

He paced in front of his mirror. At the moment, he was wearing one of his gray suits, the nice ones that usually came out of the closet before a conference. He stopped and straightened his tie in the mirror before pacing again. Then he began to think back.

Kana had said that this place was relatively casual, so he just needed to wear what he usually did-a pressed white shirt white gray, black or khaki pants. Sighing in frustration, he took of the suit and left it on the floor. Taking a pair of gray pants off a hanger, he slipped into them. The tie joined the suit in the crumpled pile on the floor. Staring in the mirror, he decided to try something he hadn't done in a long time. He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.

It was a younger, but still fancy look that reflected in the mirror. Biting his lip, he forced himself to keep it that way. He slipped into his shoes. Coming out of the bedroom to the living room, and then the kitchen, he snatched his wallet off the counter and grabbed a jacket off the coat rack by the door.

He raced down the halls and emerged in the main entrance. Out the door to his car parked on the street, starting it up as fast as possible, to pick up Kana. He silently prayed that everything would work out. He hadn't been so nervous before; perhaps it was the fact that there would be many more people around to see them. Shaking away all emotion, he whipped on his glasses and concentrated on the road.

Momiji leapt up off the couch as soon as Hatori left. He had his own rooms at the Sohma estate, but why bother when Hatori's were so much nicer? The fact that Hatori wasn't there made everything better. With a whoop, he danced around and fell. Laughing, he got up and turned on the TV. He might as well have some fun of his own. The phone rang five minutes later, and he was forced to mute it.

"Hallo?" he asked.

"Momiji!" it was Kana. "Can you tell me if Hatori has left yet? He's-oh, never mind that's him now! Bye!" she hung up. He shrugged and clicked the receiver off. To his annoyance, it exploded into rings once again.

"Ja?"

"Momitchi!" a voice cried.

"Shigure-kun-sensei!" the boy cried back. "Well, soon-to be sensei."

"Yes, well, that's not the point. Is Haa-san there?" Shigure Sohma asked. He happened to be Hatori's good friend, along with Ayame, who was currently…

"Gure-san, did you get to him yet?"

…On the phone as well.

"Hari's not here," Momiji chided. "You should call back at midnight."

"What?!" they cried in unison. "If Hatori's not there, where can he be?! We've already tried the office, Momiji-kun!" The boy laughed.

"Hari's on a _date_!" Shocked silence followed his blunt enlightening.

"A _date_, you said, Momitchi?" Shigure asked, apparently in a daze.

"Yup!" he giggled. More silence ensued.

"May we ask with whom he is out with?" Ayame ventured. Momiji pondered the question.

"Hmmm… well… okay! He's out with Kana-chan!"

"Oh, his assistant, Gure-san! Let's bomb it! Get his cell number!" the two men began to bicker and many clangs and shouts were heard in the background. "Thanks Momitchi-kun! Have fun on your own!" Shigure managed to yell over the noise. Before he hung up, Momiji could hear Aaya yelling in the background- "_Got it!_"

The boy snickered and hung up, determined not to be bothered again as he turned the volume on the television all the way up.

Hatori and Kana were just receiving their main courses when Hatori's phone vibrated insanely in his pocket. He frowned and ignored it until the waitress left. Cautiously he flipped it open and peered at the number. His face must have mirrored his feelings. Kana looked alarmed.

"Good word," he muttered. She looked startled.

"Who is it?" she asked. He snorted.

"The idiot who I was foolish to call my best friend." He smiled at her expression. "Shigure. Soon to be novelist who is the most perverse man you'll probably ever meet…well, maybe aside from Aaya. He's just as bad." She laughed.

"If you meet Mayu, then I get to meet Shigure and Aaya." He grimaced and flipped his phone on.

"I have no doubt that you will meet them before that," he grumbled. "What do you want, Shigure?" The result was him jumping out of his seat and holding the phone at arms length from his head. He did not look entirely happy.

"_HAA-SAN, IT'S US!!! AREN'T YOU PROUD? WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO THREE WAY A CALL!!! BUT, THAT'S NOT WHY WE'RE CALLING! SEE, WE HEARD FROM A LITTLE_…_RABBIT _THAT YOU WERE ON A DATE! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US, HAA-SAN???" Kana was doubled over laughing as Hatori answered, grinning at her reaction.

"I didn't want you bombing it, which I needn't worry, seeing as you already have. You should be more careful what you're saying… I _am_ with someone who doesn't know. Oh, and you're shouting. Half the restaurant can hear you."

"Oh, sorry Tori-san. Well, thanks for letting us call! Business can wait until tomorrow, ne?" Hatori grunted. One of them on the phone was bad enough!

"Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, _goodbye._" He hung up and began to laugh with his girlfriend. "I told you they were insane," he smiled, recovering enough to take a bite of food. She smiled back.

"They most certainly are. And, I'm sure to your dismay, it makes me only want to meet them more." That statement in itself nearly choked him. As he coughed and took a sip of tea, he could only imagine his friends' reaction to that.

He walked her to her apartment. It was on the third floor, door number two oh seven. She slipped the key out of her pocket and inserted it into the handle. Before opening the door, she leaned upward and kissed him. The familiar painful thudding in his chest resounded. He was always mildly surprised that she didn't hear it. But the thought was banished; it seemed immature.

Driving home was long and filled with thought. He was certainly upset about Shigure and Ayame finding out; they'd never let him live it down now. Well, they would have figured it out anyway, but he had wanted to hold it off for as long as possible.

Upon entering his apartment, he was immediately swarmed-to his great disgust-by Shigure and Ayame, the two very people he wanted to avoid.

"Haa-san!"

"Yes, Tori-san! You're home!"

"Was you're date good?"

"Why'd you hang up on us? You hurt our feelings!"

"Yes, you did. You're so sadistic! Make it up to us!"

"I know! May we spend the night with you?"

"What the hell? How'd you two get into my rooms?!"

"You gave us keys, remember?"

"Yeah! So, can we?"

The only one to blame was himself.

"NO. You are NOT spending the night. I have to work in the morning and I am exhausted already from my date. It went much later than I thought. Now, _get out of my way._" He threw his coat on the rack and pushed through them to his bedroom.

"Aww, did Tori-san do something _dirty_?!"

"Oh no, we can't have that! Haa-san, how _could_ you?!"

He flew out of the room in an undershirt and blue plaid sweat pants.

"Will you two _shut up and leave_? I am going to bed!" he yelled and pointed emphatically toward the door. His friends fell silent.

"Ah, Haa-san…I guess we went too far. I'm sorry." Shigure hung his head while Aaya nodded vigorously behind him.

"No, no, it's my fault. Akito's sick and I'm trying to hide Kana from him, and-" Ayame stopped him by putting a hand over his mouth and leading him to the kitchen.

"Now, now, Tori-san, I made some of my special tea for you. Drink it up and then we'll leave. We just wanted to congratulate you, not impose. Now, sit and drink, my friend." Hatori was shoved promptly into a chair and forced to chug three mugs of piping hot tea as his friends stood over him.

"You realize, Kana-kun is going to have to meet us before you two run off and get married, Haa-san." Hatori choked and began to cough loudly.

"Who said anything about getting married? And she already wants to meet you." The two men exchanged fascinated looks.

"_She_ wants to meet _us_? You're not pulling our legs, are you, Tori-san?" Ayame ventured. He shook his head and drained another mug, reaching for the kettle.

"Did she hit her head? Who in the world that Haa-san would go out with would possibly want to meet _us_?" they were apparently dumbfounded by that, usually suffering from Hatori telling colleagues and other (but not _nearly_ as good) friends that they were insane and dangerous. That was true, but they could be quite sane and perfectly safe…when they wanted to be.

"Ah, the kettle's empty," Hatori mumbled as he tipped to pour another mug. Shigure plucked it from his grasp and placed it in the sink, where Aaya proceeded to wash it. Turning around, the two of them found their third link collapsed on the table in deep sleep.

"Well would you look at that," Aaya mused. "Care to help me move him, Gure-san? That position will result in some serious discomfort tomorrow." The two men hooked their arms through his and then quickly switched around and managed to get him in the bed without any (major) injuries. Then, high-fiving each other, they left Hatori to his "beauty sleep" as they locked him into his Sohma rooms.

**

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A/N:** Yay, so happy! Cute, yeah? There seemed to be quite a bit of choking in that chapter... La la la… I like this song. Whenever you get a chance, you should listen to tobyMac's "I'm for You." It's sweet. It's stuck in my head… 


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** I love this chapter. So dramatic. You meet Mayu! This is where spoilers for book 10 start, by the way. It's so upsetting. I just borrowed 10 from my friend and I already forgot most of the conversation between Hatori and Mayu when he comes back without Kana. So frustrating. My memory sucks.

* * *

Kana made sure to call Mayu the Friday before they came to visit. She wanted her friend to meet the infamous Hatori Sohma-_her_ Hatori Sohma. So, Mayu gruffly agreed to be at the store Sunday. She was happy Kana was having fun with her doctor buddy. Of course, Kana didn't mention that they were in love. Mayu would figure it out; she was sharp like that.

The drive was an interesting one; the emotions swirling through Hatori were mixed. Kana's best friend sounded so different from her, from him. She was outgoing, not afraid to speak her mind, yet possessed many Kana-like qualities. She said that Mayu was honest and caring, even though she didn't always show it. Oh, and her vocabulary was sprinkled with various swears. It made for highly amusing conversations, Kana had told him. He had no doubt.

I was bored. I had volunteered to run the store on the excuse that Kana, Nyah, and Lea were going to come and hang with me. But so far, on this beautiful, sixty degree April day, nothing even remotely interesting had occurred. I picked up a pencil that was sitting on the counter and began to doodle hopelessly.

A glint in the window caught my eye, and I stopped and looked up to see a good looking car pull up in the street. A man in a brown suit got out and went to help a girl out of the other side. With a start, I realized that it was Kana. I jumped off my stool and ran out the door.

"Mayu!" she laughed as we embraced. The man just watched, not showing any emotion.

"Kana, it's good to see you!" I told her happily. She was smiling so much brighter than before. This position must really suit her.

"Mayu, this is Hatori Sohma. I work as his assistant!" she told me proudly. Her hand rested on his shoulder. I smiled and bowed slightly. His eyes were a startling blue-green, and his hair was raven black; it hung partly in front of his left eye. He was tall, like me, I noticed as he closed his eyes and dipped his head in respect. His suit was expensive. He was a doctor, but it still struck me as odd. Then, with my chest thudding painfully, I realized that he was speaking to me.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. Kana has told me much." His voice was beautifully melodic in a way, low and rich, indescribable. My head swam. I felt like I was going to fall over. He was…wonderful. He was watching me again, and I felt myself blush. Then I got angry. I _never, ever, EVER_ blush. And, he was turned to her.

"Would you like to inside and look around?" I asked, surprised that I could still speak. They stared. "What?" I asked bluntly. Kana shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing Mayu-chan. Well, Hatori, would you?" her eyes were focused on him, her smile gentle…

"I have never been one to turn down a book," he responded, eyes twinkling at her. His gaze came back to me. I smiled, and lead the way to the books that he liked. Kana had told me, and I had made sure to put all of them out that morning.

"Here we are! I do believe that these are the ones you like, Hatori-kun?" I asked. His whole face lit up, like a child being lead into a candy store. He picked them up off the shelf one at a time and thumbed through them, totally captivated.

"Yes…these are the ones. Thank you…" his voice trailed off and he was lost in his own world. I lead Kana over to the counter where we could talk.

"Isn't he wonderful, Mayu-chan?" she asked, watching him lovingly. It was like a knife had sliced through me as I saw the expression on her face. She was in love. With Hatori. And he with her. How could I be so ridiculous? How could I think that I liked him?

But even as these thoughts coursed through me, I found myself drowning in him. His shape, his voice, his rare smile as he leafed through the books I had set out for him.

"Yes…he is wonderful." I answered, not sure how to respond. She laughed.

"I'm glad you think so, Mayu."

Hatori loved the Shiraki book store. They had all his favorites. He went quite a bit over the spring and summer. For some reason, Kana never went with him. He never really asked, but he still wondered why. The first time after meeting Mayu was interesting. She was working, school winding down for summer. They talked quite a bit, and Hatori couldn't help but like her.

"Ah, Hatori-kun…it's good to see you!" she greeted him as he walked in. he smiled in his mysterious way and greeted her as indifferently as possible.

"Hello, Mayu," he nodded. She smiled mischievously.

"It's bold of you to call me that."

"Oh, sorry. Kana calls you that all the time. I suppose it's rubbed off." They talked a bit before they got on the subject of Kana.

"Oh…we met in college. We've been such good friends ever since. I love people like Kana. She's…so honest. She smiles when she's happy and cries when she's sad. I'm really nothing like her. I admire her for that." He smiled.

"Yes… I think I understand what you mean."

"Hatori-kun, I hear you've got best friends too," she added. "Shigure and Aaya-kun, right?" He looked at her with such a strange expression that Mayu almost laughed.

"Best friends…is that what they're called?" he asked. She stared.

"Don't ask me, I don't know," Mayu snapped lightly. This was all too funny to be real. And it only increased her affections for him more. How the hell was she supposed to dig herself out of _this_ hole?

**

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A/N: I love it!!! Poor Mayu… Review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Here we go! The deal is completed. Now Kana get to meet the rest of the Mabudachi Trio. Trust me, it's fun.

* * *

Hatori had met Mayu. Now, Kana needed to meet Shigure and Ayame. And his two friends were, to say the least, delighted. That was actually a major understatement, but Hatori didn't feel like going into too much detail.

Kana had suggested that they all go out, and the others (Hatori included) all agreed. They were going to "get drunk beyond drunk!" Aaya had exclaimed. "Let's see how well your little maiden can hold her liquor," he sniggered. The thought of them all lying around drunk, or bungling through the neighborhood wasn't a pleasant one, but his friends were not to be moved.

They were going to Ayame's house. It was very scary, the thought of even stepping into his house. Who knew what would be waiting? Kana bounced along next to him, hand lightly clasped in his. As Hatori rang the bell, she tapped her foot impatiently. _Fear not_, he thought. _You'll meet them soon enough_.

"Tori-san!" Aaya squealed as he wrenched open the door and embraced his friend. Pulling away, he got down on one knee and took Kana's hand.

"Dear girl, it is _such_ a pleasure to meet you," he crooned. Kana faked a swoon and Ayame laughed energetically. "Gure-san, they're _he-ar!_" he yelled. Shigure was there in a flash.

"Why thank you Haa-san! We'll be leaving now," he winked and guided Kana inside as she laughed, smiling over her shoulder at Hatori. "You do like wine, do you not, Kana-chan?"

Hatori shook his head and followed them in, Aaya getting the door behind him. Though he appeared frustrated by his over eccentric friends, he really did love them. It was just difficult to admit. _Very_ difficult.

Kana was having the time of her life. Hatori's friends were quite amusing. She loved them, their messed up humor and their excellent taste in wine. Hatori was sipping away dutifully at his, stirring up conversation, and casting glances in her direction, making her blush. Shigure could be perverse at times, but he really did seem to care about Hatori. Ayame had quite the royal attitude, and let it show. His long silver hair had been braided and he loved to throw out random quotes and hand gestures. Shigure's flannel shirt was sloppily tucked into his pants, his dark hair shaggy and ruffled. If all of the Sohma men looked like this, Kana wondered how they did not appear to be in any sort of relationship.

"So, Kana-chan, are you planning to become the next biggest doctor in the Sohma family? Maybe take all of our dear Haa-san's healing powers to a hospital? You know, you two would make to best team ever, with the ability to heal anything. And – an added bonus – your budget would be bigger and Hatori could stop stealing from the family funds since you'd be married!" Shigure exclaimed. Kana stared and dropped her glass; Hatori choked and had to be pounded on the back.

"Now, now, Gure-san, just because Tori-san is finally serious with someone doesn't mean that they'll join in an eternal bond. And I doubt that that would keep him from using what the family has granted him already." Ayame told him sternly as he helped pick up shards of glass off the floor and Kana dabbed at her skirt with a napkin, blushing beet red. Hatori was glaring viciously at both of them as he slipped an arm around Kana's shoulders.

"True, very true. Mayhap it is a good thing your glass broke, my dear. I was suspecting that you were beginning to have too much to drink. But naturally, your sweet man has far surpassed us all. When will you ever learn Haa-san? I was kidding!" he yelled as Hatori dumped the glass of ice water that Kana had picked up over his head. They all laughed as Shigure ran to the kitchen and mopped his head with a dish towel.

"Hatori, thank you," she whispered to him and snuggled closer. He tensed, and she frowned but let up a bit.

"Don't be offended, Kana. It's nothing you or I can control," he whispered back and kissed her. A flash of light startled them both and they looked up to see Ayame waving a camera joyously.

"Gure-san I got them!" he cried and ran laughing out of the room. Kana giggled.

"I love your friends," she smiled, and he grimaced.

"I'm sure their honored," he sighed, and rubbed her shoulders. Checking his Rolex, he frowned. "It's 11:00. Do you want to go?" he asked, as his one of his friends rejoined them.

"Haa-san, you can't go! Aaya has a photo printer, aren't you lucky? So…here's your picture!" Shigure burst in and presented a digital photograph of him and Kana kissing. Hatori took the photo with care.

"And _what _do you want me to do with this?" he asked, wondering what people would see if they saw this on his desk. Shigure shrugged.

"Well, I don't know. If you want, Aaya can take another one," he suggested. As if on cue, the silver haired man burst into the room and snapped another picture. He was gone as fast as he had come; two minutes later he was back brandishing that picture. It was better; Hatori was watching Kana, who was smiling at someone – Shigure? – who was out of the picture.

"Now, we have to have a group one!" Aaya exclaimed and set the camera on the table and dragged Shigure into the picture with him. "Say cheese!" he cried and the flash went off five seconds later. He ran out of the room to print it off.

"Well, now that Aaya has totally filled up his new camera, I guess you can leave," Shigure sighed sadly. "But you'll come back and visit later, won't you?" he asked playfully. Kana laughed.

"Of course!"

Ayame ran back in.

"Don't go!" he wailed. "You need your picture!" and with a flourish, he presented the last photograph. Hatori thanked him and bade them goodbye and goodnight as he slipped on his coat and the picture in his pocket. Kana took the arm he offered her, and they walked out into the night.

"Ah, your friends are amazing," she laughed. He couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, they are. It's just hard to admit it," he told her, letting the spring breeze ruffle his hair. She smiled.

"Yes, I can see why, especially if you've lived with them all your life," she replied. He watched her carefully. She was so beautiful, so intelligent. Momiji was right; she was good for him.

At her apartment building, they kissed goodbye and he watched her as she entered the complex to make sure she got in okay. Then he turned and made the lonely walk home; the darkness of the night swallowing him up.

**

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A/N: _Dun dun dun_! Don't worry, he only gets mugged. I'M KIDDING!! I COULD NEVER DO THAT TO MY BEAUTIFUL HATORI!!!! …sorry.** ! Don't worry, he only gets mugged. I'M KIDDING!! I COULD NEVER DO THAT TO MY BEAUTIFUL HATORI!!!! …sorry. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Well, here we are again! The quintet of love. Or something. Again, I just returned the book to my friend and I don't remember exactly what happened, but I've got an idea. Just incase you're wondering, I'm too lazy to ask for it again.

* * *

It was a sweltering July afternoon, and Hatori and Kana were enjoying lunch outside his office. He stretched out, grey vest and white shirt nearly blinding her in the sun, with a book in one hand, carrot in the other. As he munched and read, she watched him, smiling. His book was one that he had gotten from the Shiraki bookstore, and he was totally absorbed in it. Smiling, she crawled over and cupped his cheek in one hand. Laughing, he set the book down open on his leg and reached over to touch her hand and let her kiss him gently. He had never been happier in his life.

"Mmm, you taste good," he smiled, and she pushed him. Laughing, he kissed her again, slower, softer. As they pulled away, he picked up his book again. "What do you think of going out drinking tonight? Shigure, Aaya, and Mayu can tag along," he suggested. Her face lit up.

"Oh, let's! I'll call Mayu when I get home. I'm sure she'll come. You're leaving after lunch, right?" He nodded.

"It's too hot to concentrate," he groaned and took out a handkerchief to wipe his forehead. She smiled and leaned up against his shoulder. Reaching across, she plucked the carrot from his fingers and finished it. He made a face at her then went back to his book.

After an hour, they cleaned up where they had been sitting and moved into the office. Hatori straightened files and papers, and then told her that they could go. He walked her to the entrance and reminded her to call Mayuko about that night. He had no doubt that Kana would remember, but he could never really tell.

"'lo?" I answered my phone unenthusiastically.

"Hey Mayu! It's Kana!"

"Oh; hi. What's up?"

"Well, Hatori offered to take everyone out drinking tonight. Shigure-san and Ayame-san are going to be there! Mayu, Shigure's going to become a novelist! He's still trying to find a publisher, but he loves books!" she told me excitedly.

"Erm…" I replied, not sure what she was getting at. I could just picture her rolling her eyes or stifling a laugh right about now.

"I think you'll really like him," she said simply. I couldn't help but be suspicious.

"Kana… are you trying to hook me up?" I demanded. She laughed loudly.

"No! I was just saying," she gasped. I smiled.

"Fine. Where are we meeting?" I scribbled down the directions, finally realizing what my students must feel like trying to take notes on my long speeches. My heart was thudding excitedly. I was going to see Hatori! I was going to meet his ridiculous friends! And over beer, no less. I could hardly wait.

Drinking had been fun, Mayu thought. She had been laughing ridiculously at Shigure and Aaya, as they called him. In fact, Shigure was over bothering her right now. He was a very interesting man. She shifted her position to her knees and yanked a weed out of the flowerbed and spoke.

"Kana mentioned that she'd like to go out drinking again," Mayu threw out. Shigure smiled and leaned against the house.

"Ah, yes I thought she might," he said, watching the clouds nonchalantly. Mayu said nothing, but shoved a flower into the hole she had just dug. The thoughts swirling through her head were troubling.

"Those two… they're going out aren't they? I wonder why they just don't say," she mused. Shigure watched her, interested, selecting his response with care.

"There are some things that are better left unsaid. Like, say, how would Kana feel if she found out about your secret crush on Hatori?" Mayu flew up and wheeled around, flipping out

"You…! Am I… wha-…_HOW_…!" she sputtered frantically. Shigure laughed and patted her shoulder.

"Intuition, my dear! A novelist must have a sharp sixth sense! But, you know, Mayu, if you're so lonely…I've been bored lately. So, why don't you go out with _me_?" he asked coolly. She thought it over. She _was_ lonely…

"Well… you're very nice Shigure. And I am quite lonely… I guess… yes." She said, unsure what she was getting herself into.

"What is it Mayu? You called us over." Kana asked. Mayu fidgeted unhappily. Shigure was turning out to be an idiot; she should have seen it coming. He never kissed her or hugged her. They just got together to read. And now, she was about to tell her best friend and her boyfriend that they were having a great time going out. Shigure only made her lonelier; made her only want Hatori more. She sighed.

"You know…um… well, Shigure and I…are going out." She spat. The looks on their faces made her want to cry. _I'm such an idiot…_

"That's… that's great, Mayu!" Kana managed, breaking the silence. She gave her a halfhearted fake smile. At least Kana was trying to be optimistic. She had the feeling, though, that she had hit rock bottom. Little did Mayu know things would only get worse.

**

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A/N: Ah yes, things can get _much_ worse, Mayu-chan-sensei. Did you like it? Review please. And listen to Sanctus Real. They're the _bomb_. Lol, I sound really stupid.** Ah yes, things can get worse, Mayu-chan-sensei. Did you like it? Review please. And listen to Sanctus Real. They're the . Lol, I sound really stupid. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Read the first sentence of the actual chapter. KANA FOUND OUT! OMG! Wow, whatever. Lots of love.

_

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She found out._

Hatori and Kana were cleaning up his rooms after a late party with their friends. Currently, it was 1:00 am. He was so tired; he was barely paying attention to what he was doing, let alone Kana. He stumbled and shook his head. Bending down to pick up glasses and bottles, the room spun slightly. Kana ran over.

"Hatori, are you okay?!" she asked frantically as he swayed and stood up. Misjudging, he tripped over his own feet (whoa, he must be _really_ tired) and toppled into Kana's outstretched arms. She caught him and held him close. His eyes focused rapidly and panic shot through him. But it was too late. That churning compacting feeling filled his veins as she hugged him tight and asked if he was okay. And right now, the answer was definitely…_no._

"Hatori-" he was in her arms one minute, and the next, the empty glasses and bottles were crashing to the floor and her arms were empty. His clothes were crumpled on the ground. Kana found a sort of fascinating horror creep through her as she lifted his shirt, only to find- a seahorse.

"HATORI!!!" she screamed. In a daze, her head whipped around. "HATORI-KUN!!!! WATER!! OR SEA WATER? WHICH IS IT?!" she was sobbing. Then, on impulse, she picked up the little creature and flew into the bathroom. "Hatori, oh my gosh! It's okay…" she sobbed and wrenched on the tap in the bathtub. The seahorse slipped through her hands into the steaming water. "It's okay, Hatori!" she cried. "You're in water! You're alive…"

He squirmed the moment she had seen him. _Don't look at me…I'm ugly. I'm pathetic. I'm hideous. Don't look, love._ But she did. And now, he was hurtling through the air into a steaming hot bathtub. With a small splash, he entered it. Scalding water burned his sensitive scales as he struggled desperately against the current of the flow. Then freezing cold water. This damn tub only emitted extreme temperatures; he should have fixed it a long time ago. Then the water stopped. At last! But what came next couldn't be much better; the stretching, growing, swelling feeling overcame him.

She shrieked in surprise as he turned back, water sloshing out of the tub. And then she blushed furiously. He had muscles! They weren't huge, but they were there… and she blushed worse - they were sexy.

"I'll… I'll go get your clothes," she stammered, and left. He sighed, fighting back the urge to curl up and cry. Surely she would leave him now! He snatched a towel off the bar and wiped his feet off before stepping out of the tub and wrapping it around himself. After transforming, the zodiac always turned back completely naked. Poor Kana. The door opened and she came in cautiously to hand him his clothes. Then, turning away, she listened to his explanation.

"My family…the Sohmas, has been under a curse for hundreds of years. Each generation is born with fourteen people who are inflicted with our curse. You have the original twelve zodiac, then the cat, and the god. It is extremely difficult for us to live normal lives. We must always watch out for people of the opposite gender, and our weaknesses. Because when hugged or afflicted, we transform into an animal of the zodiac. When I spoke of inheritance on the first day, I was partially talking about this. There is one more thing, but I daresay that you will have to wait. Momiji, Shigure, and Aaya are cursed as well. And Akito…is the god." He finished dressing and she turned to watch him.

"Sit," she demanded, and he did. Taking a dry towel, she began to rub the water out of his hair.

"It's a little late now," he began, "but if you threw a real seahorse into a bathtub, it would die. Probably." She laughed, embarrassed.

"Do you think so? Sorry. I panicked and did the first thing that came to me.

"It all makes sense now. I was wondering why you'd never hold me. You didn't want anyone to know your secret. I understand. You must have been scared. Naturally you would distance yourself from others. Especially if…it was someone you loved. But…there's no need to be scared anymore. Don't push me away. I'm…happy I met you, Hatori. I'm happy that I fell in love with you. I _want_ to be near you." Tears were streaming down her face now. And he couldn't help it. He started to cry.

Hatori stood and stretched, Kana hanging up the towels.

"I'll drive you home. It's too cold to be walking…and it is almost 1:30." Kana smiled.

"It's not _that_ cold; it's only September. But…yeah, I think that I would like a ride, for the darkness hides all sorts of things," she winked and he felt himself turn slightly pink. He locked the rooms behind him and they walked together to his car. He opened the door for her, and closed it before getting in himself. Then he started up the engine and slowly made his way to the apartments that Kana lived in.

As he parked the car and helped her out, he paused before he let her go.

"Kana…you mustn't tell _anyone_ about the curse. Please," his face was pained. She kissed him.

"Don't worry, I won't," she whispered, and then ran inside the lobby. She waved goodbye from just inside the doors before turning and walking up the stairs to her room. And Hatori, for the first time in a long one, turned on the radio in his happiness.

_I'll keep you my dirty little secret,_

_Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret,_

_Hope that you can keep it,_

_My dirty little secret,_

_Who has to know?_

_All American Rejects: Dirty Little Secret_

**

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A/N: Oh, how sweet. I don't know if that song was actually playing on the radio, though that would be pretty sweet. I didn't decide that far ahead, just which song to type in here. Review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Oh no, now Akito must be informed of the discrepancy. No outsiders must find out! But we all know Kana gets off… this time.

* * *

There was one problem with Kana finding out- Akito had to be told. And that could possibly mean one other thing, the nightmare that haunted Hatori constantly. The fact that Akito could order her memories suppressed as easily as he could pick a flower, or maybe more like crush one. And he, Hatori Sohma, would be the one to do it.

Thankfully, Akito was in a better, healthier, less impulsive mood today. And as he knelt before the troubled nineteen-year-old, mostly out of respect and tradition, he watched as Akito considered. The boy was thinking, black eyes staring at the birds fluttering outside.

"She found out. That is hardly explaining anything, Hatori. Though you have added that she was helping you clean up after meeting your…_friends_… and you fell and she caught you. Or tried to. I have seen Kana. I have _met_ Kana. She is too small to have caught all of your…" he cast loving eyes over Hatori's tall, slim body, "bulk, to say the least. My normal reaction, of course, would be to make sure that you aren't lying," he snarled, bending down until he looked Hatori in the eyes, "and then to suppress her memories of that night, or perhaps… of _you._" He watched the man with satisfaction as Hatori's face paled. "But, unfortunately, I am indebted to Kana-kun, and I love my dear Hatori too much to hurt him too badly. So, if she willingly accepts us, and will treat us no differently and respect us as you say she does, then her memories may remain."

Hatori relaxed, but not enough to show. Instead, his eyes drifted to the floor and he thanked the head profusely. Akito, though, was ignoring him. He had opened the window and was letting the birds land on his arms. The head turned, and waved his hand impatiently.

"You are free to go," he snapped, before turning back to the window. Hatori stood slowly, watching the teen before turning and leaving Akito and his birds behind. He nodded to maids, watched out for other "insiders" and let the cool fall breeze billow through his hair and clothes. Upon reaching the office, he let himself in and noted that Kana was gone as he had asked her to be. He straightened up before leaving again. Then an idea hit him.

He ran to his rooms and whipped out his checkbook and made sure that his wallet was in his pocket. Then he flew to his car and drove to nearest jewelry store, calling Aaya and Shigure on his cell phone to have them meet him there. As ridiculous as they could be, they had great advice. He was afraid that he would need it.

Hatori pushed the speed limit the whole way there, and somehow, his friends still beat him. Slightly ruffled, he walked nervously into the store. They of course swamped him and he explained quietly about Akito and his idea. They stared and then guided him over to the nearest counter. Ring after ring they looked at. Some were immediately discarded; others kept in a pile for further consideration.

Twenty-three different rings were in the pile, and they had them spread out over the counter. The clerks had brought them every one in the store after Hatori had explained to them. His eyes kept settling on one in particular. It was white gold swirled with gold, creating a pale yellow tint that could pass as either in the right light. A diamond was perched gently on top of it. He loved it, and his friends assured him that it was beautiful. So, he bought it. The whole $7,000 ring. Now, all he had to figure out was when to give it to her.

"All right!" Shigure and Ayame yelled as they exited the store. Hatori ignored them.

"Can you believe it, Aaya? Haa-san's getting married! _PARK THE CAR!!!! WOOHOO!_" Shigure shouted, and made a fist, leaving his pointer and pinky fingers extended. Hatori tried not to cry out of embarrassment as his friends performed their little parody of "hit the rock". Then the two of them linked arms and skipped off.

"See ya, Tori-san!! Tell us when you're going to give it to her!" Aaya shouted over his shoulder, and then the two of them were engulfed by a wave of other walkers just crossing the street.

The next two months were the happiest of Hatori's life. Never had he felt so alive, so loved. Kana was so cheerful, he couldn't help but smile as he worked, drove, slept, ate and did anything else. People did not fail to notice his dramatic change in attitude, from solemn to very, sometimes overly cheerful. Even thought the ring was still nagging at him, he had the perfect idea as to when to give it to her.

"Kana," he asked one lazy November Saturday, "would you like to have dinner at my place tonight? There are some movies that we can watch on television afterwards. Mayuko-chan told Shigure who told me about them. I believe they're called James Bond movies? They sound quite good, actually," he offered. She smiled and then collapsed on her desk laughing. He joined in.

"You cooking… and you watching… James… Bond… really…doesn't…fit you…Hatori!" she gasped, trying to control herself. He smiled at her and she couldn't resist. "But I love James Bond, and I've never been one to pass up a date with you. So, the answer is, of course!" she laughed, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. He leaned over and kissed her. She had absolutely no idea what he was planning on doing.

Kana threw on a nice black, mid thigh length skirt and a sea green fuzzy turtleneck sweater that she had dug up from the back of her closet. From her shoe rack, she slipped into black ballet flats with little bows and a slight heel. They were the cheapest pair of shoes that she had ever bought. Then, zipping up her thick parka, she set out for the Sohma estate.

Harsh winds whipped around her and she fought for every step. The ground in front of her began to look more familiar; someone was calling her name. He rushed over and put an arm around her waist to help her inside the main entrance. Hatori. She smiled at him as he led her to his rooms.

Hatori's cooking turned out to be interesting. Not bad, just different. She enjoyed it though, and afterwards, they shared a mug of tea in the middle of his floor and watched old James Bond movies. There was a marathon, apparently. While watching, Kana dug up a deck of cards and they played War. Momiji had found this as well, though it was only for two players.

The night flew by rapidly. Each movie ranged from and hour and a half to two. At midnight, the television was muted. Hatori needed a break. He touched his back pocket to make sure that the box was still there. They were lying on their sides, facing each other. He touched his head to hers, smiling mysteriously. Kana was looking at him strangely.

"Stop smiling," she giggled. "You're scaring me." He laughed.

"Okay." He brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "You're so beautiful." She blushed. "It's only been a year, Kana, but…" he paused and took a deep breath. "My life has changed so much. I love you. I need you. So," he reached back to his pocket and took out a small black box, "If Akito approves of it," he flicked it open deftly and showed the contents to her, "will you marry me?"

She couldn't breath. She couldn't smile. She couldn't cry. She couldn't even nod. She was shocked. And so happy! It wore off a bit and a tear trickled down her cheek; with a huge effort, she sobbed one word: "Yes!"

He was ecstatic. He pulled her closer and kissed her long and hard. She was sobbing harder when he sat up to hand her the box.

"I wouldn't put it on just yet. We're not actually engaged." She nodded and laid her head in his lap. "When do you want to go?" he asked after a few minutes of playing with her hair. She peered up at him and smiled.

"Never. That's probably not an option, though. So… 12:30." He laughed.

"I feel the same way. I'll try to make sure that we can talk to Akito about all this next Saturday. Shigure and Ayame will probably come. They were with me when I got your ring," he replied. She snuggled deeper and he kissed her forehead. "I love you," he whispered in her ear, and she smiled.

"I love you too," she yawned. "Maybe you should take me home now before I fall asleep in your lap." He smiled and helped her up before leading her gently to his car. She promptly curled up in the back seat and ordered him to drive slowly so she didn't fall. He did. And she napped the whole way back to her apartment building.

_What a beautiful smile,_

_Can you stay for a while?_

_On this beautiful night,_

_Make everything right,_

_My beautiful love._

_The Afters: Beautiful Love_

**

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A/N: I love The Afters. I didn't even hear of them until they went on tour to open for Sanctus Real. Anyway, that was so cute! Don't you love how I comment like this on my own story? Hatori and Kana Sohma… The broken dream. Stay tuned.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** 13 is the unlucky number. Hey, do they even have North Faces in Japan? Btw, I cried while writing this. So you might want to get your box of tissues.

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Her phone rang. Swallowing the peach she was chewing quickly, she snatched it up.

"Kana Sohma. Oh, hey Honey."

"Eh?" Hatori wondered out loud. "Where'd that come from?" he asked. Her laughter tickled his ears pleasantly.

"I wanted to bug you," she giggled. He smiled.

"Ah, I see. Actually, I don't mind… too much." She laughed again.

"'kay. So, why are you calling?"

"About Saturday; or tomorrow, however you look at it. Akito is fine with it. Aaya and Shigure will be there. Aaya will come a bit late. He has to close up his shop." Kana's heart beat faster.

"That's great! Do…do you think he'll say yes?" she asked. Hatori took a long pause.

"I don't know. He say's that he's indebted to you for that bronchitis scare. But other than that, I honestly can't say." She thought for a moment.

"Okay, thanks. See you tomorrow."

"Mm, goodbye, _Darling_," he added. She could feel him smiling as she hung up.

Saturday crawled by. Hatori got no work done, and gave in to his urge to just leave the office and walk around. He left Kana at her desk to explore corners of the estate that he hadn't touched since his middle and high school years.

Living everyday with Shigure and Ayame gave him full run of the estate and exclusive rights to explore. He remembered drawing a map. His friends were too lazy to do it and forced him to. Usually he accompanied them to keep them out of trouble and eventually became their guide. He paid attention to where they went, instead of just running around pell-mell. He smiled at the memories.

Shigure hummed and walked nonchalantly up the steps to the main entrance of his beloved Sohma estate. He made sure that his shirt, white and spotless, was tucked in perfectly, and his tie straight. He actually looked respectable tonight. Inside, he flagged a maid and promptly handed her his shoes.

"Dear woman, put them in Hatori-kun's rooms, please," he gave a sweeping bow and smiled at the look she threw him. Maids were so assuming, not to mention temperamental. At least they did as they were told. Sighing, he trotted through the halls, bare feet beginning to feel numb. Outside Akito's rooms, patiently waiting, he found Hatori and Kana-chan. Hatori nodded solemnly and Kana smiled. He couldn't blame them; he would be nervous too if he was asking Akito permission to marry.

It seemed like forever that they stood outside the doors and waited. But not a word was said, nor a watch checked. Feet were cold, but they didn't move. Hands were sweaty, but they weren't dried. And finally the door opened. A maid ushered them inside, to find Akito kneeling patiently on the floor. He waved the maid away then gestured for Hatori, who knelt respectfully in front of him. Shigure took a place near the door and Kana ventured further into the room to stand a few meters behind her fiancé.

Hatori could feel Akito's hands on his cheeks. They were cold, smooth. He raised his head to meet those foreboding eyes that bored into him so often.

"So, my dear dragon…what brings you here today?" he asked. His voice was a forced pleasant tone. Hatori dipped his head.

"My assistant, Kana," he answered quietly. "As you know it has been a little more than a year since she first came on as my intern." Akito nodded thoughtfully.

"Ah, yes. Of course I remember. Continue." Hatori took a shaky breath. Now or never.

"We…we were thinking of getting married." There. It was out. He could feel Akito tense; his nails grabbed his shoulder and dug in.

"_What?_" he snarled. Hatori had to fight his hands from covering his face. There was little hope at all; next to none. It was over.

"We were thinking… of getting married," he repeated, struggling to keep his voice straight. Akito blew.

"_No!_" he yelled, and flew up to his feet. Shigure was over in a second, trying to calm the head down. Hatori felt himself stand and reach out.

"Akito, hold on a second! Calm down! It's okay! Relax!" Shigure yelled. The head was fighting furiously.

"No! _No_!" he yelled and his scrabbling hands found a vase on a side table. "It is not… okay!" he swung with all his might as the two men tried to snatch the porcelain from his grasp. Their efforts were in vain.

Hatori was trying to calm Akito down before someone got hurt. And then, a vase was flying towards his head. He didn't even realize what was happening until it smashed into his left eye. _You're always thinking too much about others._ With a smothered cry of pain, he fell back to his knees. His face! Gashes littered it where the fragments had exploded. Some were deep. But that was nothing to the fire that was consuming his eye. His hands were pressed against it, rapidly trying to stop the bleeding. But even so, he could feel it leak through his fingers. To stain the floor, to stain his pants, to mar his perfectly white shirt. For once, there was nothing he could do except gasp in pain and grit his teeth.

Kana could have seen Shigure grab Akito around the waist and wrestle him against a wall. She could have heard them yelling, at each other, at her, at Hatori. Instead, the only thing that reached her eyes and ears was a shower of clay and blood as the vase collided with his face. She could hear the smashing sound echo through her brain uncontrollably and she was running. Running and calling his name.

"_No! Hatori!"_ she cried and was on the floor in front of him as Akito began to direct his insults at her. But she didn't hear them; not at first. Now, all she cared about was him.

His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and she reached out for his face. His hands were covered in blood and even as she touched them, the streaming red liquid dripped through his fingers. Hatori gasped in pain, and slowly, lowered his hands. She saw his beautiful eye widen in horror at the mess that he was cupping in his hands, that was trickling down his face, through his fingers. And then he saw her. And he shut them. He didn't want her to see him like that. Pathetic, blood rolling down his cheek. But it was too late; she covered her face. Her eyes were wide with terror at the mess that had been his eye. And now they were shut tightly against it.

Tears were beginning to spill out of her eyes. Then she heard Shigure yell for her to help Hatori. And Akito scream.

"_You! _Why would… why would I give him to _you_?! You can't even break the curse! I don't need you, I don't, I don't!"

"Akito!" Shigure yelled, voice hoarse. He ignored him.

"If Hatori goes blind, it's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! _It's your fault…_!" Akito's words were devoid of all sense. He was looking for someone to pin it on. So Hatori wouldn't blame him. It could have easily been Shigure's fault. But instead, the blame was turned on the person that was closest to the dragon – Kana.

Ayame arrived about ten minutes after Shigure, Hatori and Kana had entered Akito's rooms. Of course, he didn't know the chaos that was raging at the moment, but that didn't stop him from near running to wait outside the door, hopeful as ever. His hopes, however, were crushed as he heard voices shouting from inside the rooms. Akito and Shigure's voices. He immediately felt sorry for his aspiring friend. But they didn't sound like they were shouting at each other, and Ayame finally made an executive decision. He opened the door.

Ayame had never seen so much trauma and destruction and chaos packed into one room. But, being Ayame, his eyes took it all in with one sweep. Shigure was silent, and Akito was still yelling. Kana was crying silently in front of Hatori, who was pale and shaking with pain and blood loss. His hands covered his left eye. He was gritting his teeth, trying not to cry; that would only make things worse. So, Ayame nodded to Shigure, who dragged Akito backwards out of the room before sweeping him up in his arms. Ayame could hear them fighting and yelling for a maid as Shigure ran down the halls. Kana was still sobbing quietly.

"Kana-chan, it's okay. Come on, I'll get you to a set of rooms." But she couldn't move. Ayame doubted that she could even hear him; Akito's words had pierced her like bullets. He rubbed her shoulder, but got no response. "Hang in there, Tori-san, Gure-san will be back in a moment." Hatori only grunted his acknowledgement. Shigure walked back in, breathing hard, rid of the screaming head. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Took three maids to drag him to his other rooms," Shigure gasped. His face was saddened. Ayame placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Gure-san. Now… what are we going to do about Kana-chan?" he asked. Shigure shrugged.

"Move her to rooms at the other end of the estate. But right now, I'm more concerned about Haa-san." he reached out and touched Hatori's shoulder, and the doctor finally gave up. Shigure lunged to catch him as he fell to the side. His hands fell away from his face, and a sharp intake of breath echoed throughout the room. Shigure gently laid his friend down on the floor and frantically whipped around for something to stop the bleeding. Aaya came to the rescue.

"Gure-san, take off your shirt," he ordered and pulled out a pocket sewing kit. Shigure obeyed, ripping off his tie as well. Ayame pulled out scissors and began to cut Shigure's shirt into strips while Shigure himself spit on his tie and gently dabbed the blood off of Hatori's face. When that was done, he faced Kana.

"I'm taking her to a guest suite. I've got an idea," he told Aaya and pulled Kana up off the ground. Her eyes flew open and she clung to him.

"Hatori, get Hatori," she gasped, tears leaking out. Shigure turned her away from Hatori's sprawled and bloodied form and gently led her into the hall. He dug through his pants pockets and pulled out his cell phone. Flipping through the menus, he selected a number and waited.

"Mayuko Shiraki," Mayu answered, wondering why someone was calling at eight at night.

"Mayu-chan!" Shigure cried urgently. She tensed and fought the urge to hang up immediately.

"What the hell do you want?" she snapped. She had no tolerance for Shigure right now. Shigure laughed dryly.

"Mayu, I need your help with Kana-chan. We're at the Sohma estate right now. Akito…Something's come up with Hatori. Please, just get over here as fast as possible. Tell the maid that you're here to see Shigure Sohma in room fifty two E. I have to go. Please, Mayu!" he hung up. She stared at the receiver. He definitely wasn't lying; his voice was too shaky and hoarse. She made up her mind. Slamming down the phone, she grabbed her jacket and ran out the door.

Mayu flew into the main entrance and took a moment to recover from her frantic sprint. Hands on her knees, she yelled at a maid who was passing by.

"Hey! Hey, you! I need… to get to… room fifty two E. I'm here…to see Shigure… Sohma," she gasped and stood up straight. The maid regarded her with a critical eye that was impossible to read.

"Right this way. Shigure-san has been waiting." The woman led her through a maze of hallways and covered walks until Mayu was utterly confused. Finally, they reached the room and the maid knocked gently on the door. "Sohma-san, your visitor has arrived," she called then was gone. Great, now she had to face the idiot alone. Fucking maids.

Shigure heard the maid yell through the door. He could hear her walk away down the hall. And he could also hear Mayu sigh with frustration and tap her foot on the floor. He pulled the blanket tighter around Kana (who was now fretfully sleeping) and opened the door. Mayu looked pissed. But there was concern showing in her eyes as well. Shigure pulled her inside and lead her to where her friend was resting.

"Okay, here's the deal. You, Mayu, are going to stay here, in room fifty two E, for the rest of the night. With Kana. I will come get you and see you home safely once this whole…issue has been worked out, okay?" he asked. She gaped.

"_Why_ are you wearing no shirt?" she demanded. "It's November." Mayu could tell right away that she had made a mistake. The way his face clouded and his eyes grew angry.

"Why am I not wearing a shirt, she asks. _Why am I not wearing a shirt!_ I'll tell you!" he yelled. "I'll _tell you_ why I'm not wearing a damn shirt! Maybe it's because my shirt is holding my best friend's face together!" he roared. Her heart stopped. "Maybe it's because without it, he'd bleed till who knows when! All because of some psychotic, vase throwing…!" he yelled, voice growing. Tears were spilling out of his eyes as he continued to rant. _Hatori…my precious Hatori!_ She thought, and found herself crying on the floor. Shigure stopped when he saw her and sat down. His eyes were leaking worse than hers. "Please stay, Mayu. Please. Don't do it for me. Do it for Kana… for Haa-san. Please!" he took her hand. She sniffed and nodded, then on a whim dried his face with her sleeve. He half-smiled then stood up. "I'll be back." His voice was very hoarse. She wondered how cold it must be without a shirt. Then she jumped up.

"Shigure, wait!" she cried. He turned. "Here…take this," she took off her jacket and handed it to him. "It's fleece… and it's black so nobody can really tell if it's for guys or not," she said, not really sure why she was doing this. He stared at the coat in his hands.

"Thank you." He put it on and shut the door behind him. It would be a long night.

"There. You can sit up now, Tori-san. Gure-san's calling an ambulance right now," Ayame finished tying the strips of Shigure's former shirt around Hatori's head. He sat up and rested his head between his knees. Aaya had managed to wake his friend up while tying the makeshift bandage. The bleeding had slowed to almost nothing, though the throbbing and jabs of pain were still plaguing his eye. His other smaller cuts were staining the white material. He found it impossible to see, even though Ayame had done his best to wrap above his other eye. It was better to keep them both shut.

Shigure flew in. He blinked in surprise at seeing Hatori sitting up and bandaged tightly. Then he shrugged more happily and shoved his hands into the pockets of Mayu's North Face jacket.

"Glad to see you're back in business, buddy," he told Hatori and grabbed his tie out of his pocket. Hatori snorted.

"Hardly." His voice was choked, as if he was fighting back tears. Shigure stopped scrubbing at the bloodstains on the floor to hug his friend.

"The med people will be here in a few minutes. It's gonna be okay. We're gonna pull through this. We're not going to give up. This isn't going to break us. We've stuck it out this far; I'm not backing down now. It's going to be okay. Just hold on, okay Haa-san? Don't let go." Shigure was crying now. Ayame's face was barely holding back tears. And Hatori was clutching his hair, just inches away from pulling it out.

There was no telling how long the three of them stayed like that. But finally Hatori's head began to spin and he slumped against his friends. Shigure let Ayame hold him upright and got up to find something that would clean the floor. He came back with a broom and a dustpan, two rags and a bag of hardwood floor cleaner. He was intent on getting rid of the stains. Hatori's shirt was probably a lost cause, but the floor he could handle. He swept up the fragments of the vase then began to scrub.

A maid opened the door and the med personnel walked in to help Hatori to his feet. Shigure handed the cleaning supplies to the maid (strangely, the one who had taken his shoes) who threw him dirty looks as she scrubbed.

They waited as Shigure shakily explained what had happened. One worker took notes as the others held up Hatori.

"It's okay, Sohma-kun. We're going to take Hatori-san to the hospital and get him all patched up. If you'd like, you can ride up in the ambulance with him," the worker offered. Shigure and Ayame nodded and the party began to move slowly through the halls.

They almost made it to the vehicle. If it weren't for the fact that Momiji was wondering how Hatori and Kana were faring, then they would have been on their way. But the boy was running towards them, flanked by a maid as they moved hurriedly down the hall.

"Hari!" he cried, and Hatori twisted against them to try and find Momiji. The maid had grabbed him, but he was in tears and fighting. "Hari!" he sobbed.

"Momiji, stay there," Hatori ordered.

"No!" he yelled. Hatori tried to steer the men holding him up to face the boy. Shigure and Ayame were already next to him, trying to clam him down. The men were nearly dragging Hatori out the door; had he been fit, he would have broken free.

"Momitchi, stay here. Hatori's eye's going to be fixed up and then he'll come back, okay?" Shigure tried, but the boy was no to be comforted.

"Hari," he cried, snuggling into the maid's arms. Hatori couldn't get the voice out of his head and fought weakly to get to Momiji. But the men holding him were stronger, and he could barely walk on his own. Cold air ripped at his clothes as they lead him outside. His face burned with the harsh winds. And then a door opened loudly and he was sitting. Shigure and Ayame joined him, rubbing their hands to get warm as the metal doors of the ambulance shut tightly behind them. With a jolt, the vehicle started up and began to move. Away from the estate; away from Akito; away from Momiji; away from Kana. More than ever, he wished he could just let go. And then his friends each took a hand. And he changed his mind.

_Keep holding on,_

'_Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through,_

_Just stay strong,_

'_Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you,_

_There's nothing you can say,_

_There's nothing you can do,_

_There's no other way when it comes to the truth, so_

_Keep holding on,_

'_Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Avril Lavigne: Keep Holding On_

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A/N: I love that song. Poor Hatori! I can't read that part of the second book; I always cry. Anyway, was it angst-y enough? Too angst-y? Please review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** This is a relatively short chapter, but is very impacting. Imagine Shigure or Aaya singing the song at the end. That is one of my very favorite songs, btw.

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Hatori's eye was engulfed in pain. As was the rest of his face; he tried to open his left eye, but found he couldn't. His right eyelid he could sort of open and sort of see through. And what he saw was blackness. With alarming speed, he sat up.

"Whoa, Haa-san! Lay down, buddy!" Shigure's voice came at him from his right. It sounded like he was running over from the side of the room. Hatori was promptly shoved back into the mountain of pillows behind him.

"Where the hell am I?" he croaked. His throat was dry beyond measure. He could feel the bed sag as Shigure sat down.

"In the hospital. The doctors have re-bandaged your eye. You remember that part don't you?" Shigure asked. Hatori was about to respond when a door opened and a voice called for his friend. "Be right back," he whispered and got up and walked toward the voice.

"What is it, doctor?" he whispered. The man that was the doctor sighed.

"His eye; It's damaged beyond repair. The vase totally shredded the lens, apparently. As you know, the lens takes in light and the retina reflects that back as the image you and I see. Without the lens, there is no way that he can see. That eye is pretty much useless. We can save it, but he definitely won't see clearly from it again." Silence followed. Then:

"Haa-san?" Shigure called. "I know you could hear that," he called softly. Hatori covered his bandaged face with his rough hands. They apparently had to scrub quite a bit to get all the blood off.

"Akito… Kana is going to blame herself, isn't she? Akito's words are going to influence… she's going to make it all her fault," he shook with unshed tears. Shigure was back at the bed in a flash.

"I can't say, Haa-san. No one can. We'll just have to see. Kana-chan's strong, she won't just let herself waste away. You and I both know that. And even if she does, you can heal her. You can heal anything. And even if you can't heal her, Aaya and I will always be here for you. Know that. We _want_ to be there for you; even if you push us away, we'll be there. We always will be! I swear on my life." Hatori found himself unable to reply. Tonight he was seeing parts of his friends that had never surfaced before. At least something good had come of tonight.

Shigure was apparently waking a sleepy Aaya up. His other friend stretched and complained for a few minutes, then joined Shigure on the bed. He yawned.

"Gure-san's right, Tori-san. We're never going to leave you. We wouldn't even consider it! We're gonna be there for you, through everything."

The night is long, but eventually, the sun will rise again. And his friends would never leave. The three everlasting pillars. Of what, who knew? But that didn't matter. As long as the Mabudachi Trio was together, they were invincible.

_Sometimes I'm a selfish fake._

_You're always a true friend._

_I don't deserve you 'cause I'm not there for you._

_Please forgive me again…_

_I want to be there for you…_

_Someone you can come to…_

_It runs deeper than my bones…_

_I want to be there for you._

_Flyleaf: There for You_

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A/N: I absolutely adore Flyleaf. They're not as amazing as Sanctus Real, though. Wasn't it touching? I can totally see Shigure and Aaya doing it. Review.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Yeah, I cried writing this one too. It cracked me in two… I can't imagine being Hatori right now.

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Hatori was out of the hospital. Save he had to wear an eye patch at all times and his face was littered with numerous little cuts, he was nearly normal. Almost. A large piece of him was missing, locked in that formidable room with his love. Kana. 

Shigure had gone back to relieve Mayu. After three days, Hatori was out, but too afraid to leave his Sohma rooms. Aaya had tried vainly to scrub the bloodstains out of his shirt. And Shigure had suggested he burn it. But Hatori couldn't. So he hid it in the back of his closet.

He buttoned up an identical shirt, zipped up an identical pair of pants, and combed his slightly longer black hair. He was growing it long enough to cover the damned patch. It never came off his face. When that was done, he slipped into a pair of identical pair of shoes. Then he walked dazedly through the halls toward her room.

Kana jumped as the door opened. She shivered, sitting up on her futon, against a wall. She burrowed deeper into the blanket that she was wrapped in. And then heard his voice.

"Kana?" he called softly. She peered through the opening into his eyes. She blinked, and saw only one. The other was covered by his hair. He touched her cheek, smiling sadly. "Kana, what's wrong? Everything's better now," he whispered. She let the blanket drop to her shoulders.

"Hatori…!" she whispered. Then began to cry. His face collapsed into crags of sadness. "We've been turned away! All because of me. And your eye…" she reached out and brushed his hair away to reveal the patch. His eyes closed and a tear rolled down his cheek. "…that's my fault too, isn't it?" she sobbed. "You said yourself that you can't blame Akito for what is rightfully his fault. So you're blaming me, aren't you?" she whispered. He started.

"No! Kana, I _love you_! I can't blame you for this! _It's not your fault_. Don't you _ever_ think that! I _love_ you Kana!" he cried. She stared.

"No…no! You're just saying that because you don't want me to be hurt. I was _right there_! I could have stopped-" she choked up and began to shake with tears. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she scooted into the corner. His eyes were streaming.

"No…no…Kana, don't do this! Please! Kana, I love you! It's _not_ your fault!" he whispered, tears welling up and rolling down his face so fast that his eyes were clouded. "You're right about Akito. But that doesn't mean it's your fault. It's mine; mine and Shigure's. So don't pin this on yourself. You didn't know Akito would do that! We know him better, we should have seen this! Don't; please don't beat yourself over it! I…" he choked. _I love you, Kana. You're only hurting me worse this way. I would give up both my eyes and it would be nothing compared to the pain that's eating away at me now. Please…please, just…stop…please…_ he thought, crying his eyes dry; shedding the tears that had plagued him for the past days. She watched him from the corner. He managed to get himself under control.

Eyes still streaming, face soaked, he met her gaze.

"Stop. Stop it right now. Stop, Kana! Stop crying, stop blaming, stop! You're only making me hurt worse! Both my eyes could be shredded, and it would be _nothing_ compared to the hell you're putting me through right now! Stop!" he yelled. She did; and stared.

"I'm sorry, Hatori…but…I _can't_," she cried. "As long as you're alive, I'll never be able to stop." And she diminished into tears.

Numb; that was all he could fell – numbness. He was vaguely aware of himself standing as Kana turned her body away from him. He was vaguely aware of his sleeve brushing against his face, wiping away his tears as he walked out of the room. And he was numb as he shut the door behind him and felt a piece, a treasured, loved, poured over piece of him die. He only made it two steps from the door before his legs collapsed. He fell against the wall, but felt nothing. His head lowered into his arms, which rested against his knees. And he cried. Huge, wrenching sobs that tears gushed from.

That was how Shigure found him. Crying, mourning, painfully over her, that piece that meant so much to him. Had consumed him. Had _become _him, almost like a cancer. What was he to do without it? How could he live without it? After being part of it for so long, how could he function with it gone? And though his friend had no answers, he did have one thing – his friendship, in the form of two arms that tightly wrapped themselves around his heaving form and never let go.

"Are you _really_ sure you want to see her?" Shigure asked for the umpteenth time. Mayu wheeled around so her face was inches from his.

"Yes, dammit! _I want to see my friend!_" she yelled. He backed up, laughing nervously.

"Okay, I get it, I won't stop you. But don't say I didn't warn you, Mayu," he sighed. She glared.

"Oh, I won't. But if I don't like it, I'll still blame you," she snapped. He smiled sadly. Opening the door, he bowed her inside. Mayu nodded coldly at him and stepped cautiously into the dark room.

How Kana could bare to stay in here, Mayu had no idea. It was dark, the air stuffy. She was immediately worried beyond what she thought possible. What could possibly be this wrong with her friend? A voice jolted her out of thought. A weak, slightly familiar voice.

"Ah, it's Mayu-chan. You came… to see me?" Kana asked. Mayu stared in horror at her friend. Her hair was dirty and knotted eyes bloodshot and dull, and her cheeks pale and sunken.

"Kana! You have us all worried! Shigure helped me sneak in today. How are you?" Mayu whispered, kneeling by her friend. Tears began to drip down from her eyes.

"Oh…I'm alright. But Hatori… he hurt his eye. It… it was because of me." Her voice was terribly shaky. "It… it was because of me," she whispered, eyes wide and unseeing. "I was right there! But I couldn't pro… protect him!" she sobbed, and Mayu hugged her tightly. Kana clawed at the air, reaching for something only she could see. Mayu could only hug her tightly and reassure her. It did little to help, but eventually the girl cried herself into a deeply troubled sleep.

"I told you it was bad," Shigure smirked half-heartedly as she walked out of the room. Mayu said nothing, just reflected.

"Are you going to see Hatori?" she asked quietly. He only bowed his head.

"Come, I'll take you home." She followed him obediently as he led her through hallway after hallway, carefully avoiding all other people. As they reached the outside, Mayu turned to him.

"How can she recover from something like that?!" Mayu demanded. Shigure was silent. "Exactly! She can't! It's impossible. So, how does our famous _doctor_ plan on healing her?" she snapped. Shigure turned his face toward the sun.

"He doesn't. At least he hopes. So, my dear, our precious Kana-chan will either waste away to madness, or Hatori will be forced to use drastic measures. Trust me it will cut deeper than anything…_normal._" Mayu shuddered at his words before growing angry.

"Drastic is better than just sitting around. She'll be worse than dead, Shigure! How can he _do_ something like that?! He loves her! He doesn't care about taking risks! He'll do whatever it takes!" she was yelling now. Shigure's face grew increasingly somber as she went on. He finally silenced her with a piercing stare.

"When I said it cuts deeply, I didn't mean that _Kana_ would be the one getting cut." She shivered, as his meaning hit her.

"Hatori…?" she started. "What is it? What is it that he would rather have her go mad than do this?! That would kill him inside?" she whispered. Shigure looked sadly at her. Then, ever so reluctantly:

"_Memory suppression_." The words nearly stopped Mayu's heart. She gaped and he nodded. "Burying the memories that plague a person deep inside them. They're impossible to find again. Unless some type of accident occurs or they see something – or someone – that could be associated with those memories, they will stay buried. You understand now, don't you?" he whispered. She nodded horror stricken. To erase the memories of the person most important to you – their memories _of_ you – must be highly traumatic. And it must cut _very_ deep. This hell that she had somehow gotten herself wrapped up in just got – if possible – worse. Her friend might as well be wasted, her crush was blind in one eye and deeply hurt, and a pervert kept sticking himself to her. She couldn't take it anymore. She wasn't the only one.

Hatori slumped over his kitchen table, head resting against his arms. _When, someone tell me, when this nightmare will be over. _That was the only thought floating through his broken, troubled mind. And no one (or so he thought) could save him from it.

_The night is so long_

_When everything's wrong_

_And give me your hand, I will help you hold on,_

_Tonight…_

_Tonight…_

_Skillet: The Last Night_

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A/N:** Memory suppression and living nightmares. Life sucks. That's why you get God and don't do drugs. Review. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Furuba is so dramatic! I cried at the end of this chapter too! I feel pathetic… crying over fictional characters… Don't tell, but once I accidentally found myself praying for Akito. He he…

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Akito would be vicious, ruthless, he could feel it. The head had called him to his rooms, no doubt about Kana. Hatori walked nervously, hidden securely behind his mask, to see him.

Kneeling, Hatori met Akito's fierce eyes. The head shook his long bangs out of his face, before speaking.

"Welcome, Hatori. I see your eye is healing well," he began icily. Hatori doubted that Akito would care whether his eye healed at all. "I called you here because of an issue that has been brought to my attention, mainly by you. Your actions see. You've been acting rather… how shall I put this…_depressed_. And, I decided to get to the bottom of it. So, the issue at stake, Hatori, happens to be Kana.

"She is ill of heart, of mind. And, Hatori, _you_ are the reason. So, it is only right for you to fix it. Your skills would come in handy, now, wouldn't they? You had no problem with the _others_. What's hurting her now is her memories of _you_. Her _love_ for you. Isn't it your final duty to _free_ her from that pain? I think she truly wants to be released," he whispered, fingering Hatori's tie. "That she _wants_… to forget." He pulled away, turning to the window. "You have no choice, Hatori. It's an order. If you disobey, then you loose the other eye, and perhaps a little more. And, did I mention, that Kana would be withered away to nothing, worse than dead, reduced to hugging her knees while rocking back and forth in some madhouse? But, if you do, Kana will be _free_, happy, and will go on to live a wonderful, lucrative, life. As a bonus, you'd only be blind in one eye, and all the rest of you would remain intact. But I don't think that's what you're worried about. No, you only care for her right now. So, Hatori, as the responsible, unfailing, totally devoted man you are, help you're former fiancée. Release her. And get out of my sight," Akito finished.

Hatori wasn't aware that he had stood and moved to the door. He was too numb. "Oh, and one more thing," Akito turned, smiling malevolently, "Don't even _consider_ using your…_gift_ against yourself. You know what could result." Hatori knew. It had deadly side effects when used against its owner. He had no inclination to try it.

It didn't hit him until he returned to his rooms. Kana was going to leave. She was going to forget. Forget _him_. Forget all the times they spent laughing, working and learning. He fell back into his couch and cried. It was a good hour before he could even control himself. And he knew what he must do.

Kana was staring out the window when he entered soundlessly. Still, she heard him and turned – only to recognize him and begin to cry. As a tear rolled down her cheek, Hatori came to sit next to her. His face was unreadable as usual as he stared out the window.

"Anything interesting occurring in our world?" he asked quietly. "I haven't been outside for a while." She stared at him and he smiled, wiping away her tears with his sleeve. "There, it's all right. I guess it's no use. You know it's not your fault, yet you won't listen to me. And you know I love you. So, I'm going to give you the news. Akito knows how I can heal you, Kana. You'll never be plagued by that night again. You won't stay like this. You'll be able to live a normal life," he said softly, a tear dripping off his cheek. She stared, unsure.

"It's your choice," Hatori whispered, slightly happier that she wasn't crying or acting like he was a demon anymore. She nodded.

"Tell me more. I … want to know… how." He smiled, and tears spilled out from his eyes. Before he realized it, Kana extended a shaky hand and dried them away. She was watching him like a child a captivating story teller. He dipped his head in thanks before staring again.

"There is a special technique that has been used very little that I know where to find. Only certain people posses this. And it has saved and ruined many a life. Kana, you're just wasting away over me. And Akito knows one of these people. They… they're going to suppress your memories. They're going to bury them. All of them. Your memories of tonight, of me and of our…happiness. And you'll be better. You'll never know it happened. He doesn't want us to go on. He wants our love forgotten. And that person to do it… is …Me." She stared, shocked, trying to absorb it all. Then:

"You… you would do that… for me?" she whispered. "You would erase my memories so that I could go on and live? Thank you, Hatori, thank you! We'll be so much better off if we don't remember…" she burst into tears, though not of sadness and pain, but of thankfulness. His heart nearly ripped in half. She was crying so happily… so unknowingly… She stopped. Then:

"Hatori… if you are going to erase my memories… then who's going to suppress yours?" she asked. His eyes met hers and closed, tears streaming.

"No one will, Kana. I'll have to live with mine forever." She stared, his words sinking in. And then began to sob helplessly once more. This time, he joined her.

_And just to be with you, I'll do anything_

_There's no cross I would not paint now_

_And just to be with you I'll give everything…_

_And I will give my life away,_

_Away…_

_Third Day: Love Song_

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A/N: What do you think? Did you cry too? Lol. Please review!!!!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** This part wasn't as bad… I didn't cry, but I came close. This chapter's short too, but it packs a punch.

_

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She wants… to forget. Those words pierced him deeper than any knife ever could. Now, on Akito's orders, he would be suppressing her memories. Though it was better than what would happen if he took no action. Still… even if it made the two of them cry, he suppressed the memories of his two young relatives without a second thought. Was this punishment? He'd never thought that he'd have to erase with his own hands the memories of the person he cared about most; the memories he cared about most._

She was waiting when he entered the room; just sitting there, waiting for him. He reached out as he approached, and her hand grabbed his shirt sleeve. He watched her silently, trying to hold back his tears. He had been able to ditch the eye patch; that was a relief. She mumbled as he kneeled down and placed his hand over her eyes.

"Maybe it would have been better… if we'd never met." He stared and then she repeated it. "I'm…ry… I couldn't pro…protect you. I'm sorry. I'm so sor..ry! Hatori…" hearing his name, he bit his lip so hard that it bled. Then, his mind focused on those precious memories. His eyes burned, his chest tightened and threatened to burst.

If this was the depth of her love… so deep that she broke, then it was not right for her to suffer. His hand jerked down over her face and light swelled to fill the room before dying down again. She fell back, sprawled on the floor. No… he should be one to apologize. He was the one who couldn't protect her. But she though of him until the very end. She shouldn't have to suffer.

He realized that he was standing again. "Thank you, Kana… It's all right now. There's nothing… there to hurt anymore," he whispered, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks as he watched her. The door opened and maids filed in to take her away. _Please… let her find someone to make her happy. I pray… even if I die surrounded by snow that never melts, I don't care. Please…!_

He lowered his head and let the tears fall. The floor was splattered with them. It was then that he realized that it was snowing outside. The first snow.

_Oh, it's snowing! Hatori-san, may I ask you a question? When snow melts, what does it become?_ _My spring…is gone. Winter has come again._

Sobs wrenched his body, and he couldn't move, only cry. Life was pointless now. Where could he possibly find happiness? She was gone.

_The walls start breathing,_

_My minds unweaving…_

_Maybe it's best you leave me alone._

_A weight is lifted_

_On this evening,_

_I give the final blow._

_When darkness turns to light,_

_It ends tonight,_

_It ends tonight…_

_The All-American Rejects: It Ends Tonight_

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A/N: The song fits, don't you think? I like the next chapter. It's the last time we see Mayu for a while. Remember to review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** I kinda like this chapter. It's sad, though. Everything's sad! I'm tired of sad! Let's get some happiness in the world!

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Mayu decided to visit Kana. Shigure had told her that the memory suppression had been carried out. It tore her in two to think of the hell he must be going through. So, as she padded quietly through the halls, she touched her pocket. Yup, the box was still there. It would be very bad if Kana found this at her apartment.

"Are you sure you're alright? You're still a bit pale and your cheeks are still a little sunken," Mayu asked her friend. Kana smiled brightly as they sat on the porch behind her Sohma rooms.

"I'm fine! Hatori-_san_ says it will still be a while before I'm fully recovered, though."

"You really don't remember, do you?" Mayu asked sadly. Kana turned and looked at her with a confused and surprised smile.

"Huh?"

"It's nothing. Never mind."

"So, Mayu…is it true that you broke up with Shigure-san?" Kana asked brightly. Mayu laughed dryly.

"Yeah, he was kind of a jellyfish," she replied, trying not to show _too_ much disgust. Kana appeared to be contemplating something.

"You know, Mayu, I think the kind of guy for you would be someone like… someone like… Hatori-san! Yeah, I think you two would be great together!" she exclaimed. Mayu couldn't resist.

"You'd be much better with him, Kana," she said doubtfully. Her friend laughed and held up her hands.

"Oh no! I've always admired him, but we really wouldn't go well together!" she laughed. Mayu couldn't help it. Memories flew in front of her eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek. "Mayu? Mayu, are you alright?" Kana asked, startled and worried. She couldn't bring herself to answer.

A knock on his door caused him to jump from his reverie. Hatori stood with effort and trudged over to open it. As it swung inward, a familiar face greeted him.

"Mayu…?" he asked hesitantly. Her eyes were spilling tears. She wiped them away hurriedly and attempted to smile at him. She bowed as he recovered; taking his appearance in. He certainly looked more disheveled. Disheveled for his standards at least. A fine line of stubble declared that his shave was irregular and shaky. His shirt was slightly rumpled as well. She straightened and felt her heart sear painfully.

"Would you like to come in?" he managed. She shook her head.

"No, I'm fine. I really am sorry to barge in unexpectedly like this, Hatori-kun, but I was just at Kana's apartment the other day and I came to see her today, so I figured I'd drop this off with you." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box. _The_ box. The box that contained _it_. He took it with trembling hands and stared at it. A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked cautiously through his hair at her. A wan smile appeared on her wobbly lips and she whispered to him before turning and leaving.

"She's doing fine. You have major guts… get well soon." As she walked off down the path, he carefully opened the box to pluck out the ring and pressed it to his lips. Tears rolled down his cheeks. Momiji was suddenly next to him, hugging him around the waist, just holding him up. He had never been happier to have the boy right next to him in all his life.

"It's okay, Hari. Everything will be okay." Hatori just wished he could believe him.

Kana was back at work the following week. She was just as bright and cheerful, almost more so, and Hatori was reminded painfully of her first day. Things continued uneventfully until lunch.

"Hatori-san…you do know that today is my last day, correct?" she asked cautiously after several minutes of silence. His hand stopped halfway to his open mouth. How could he have forgotten? Quickly, he shoved the chopsticks full of food into his mouth and chewed as fast as possible.

"Of course," he said, composure regained. "I hope you have learned all that you planned to. Such a shame that the time couldn't be extended. You were a wonderful intern, Kana-san." He felt his heart contort as she blushed and smiled in thanks.

The rest of the day was hell. No laughing, discussing dates, holding hands, kissing goodbye… he missed all of it. He missed her, even though she was sitting right next to him. Hatori was so happy when it was time for her to leave. He didn't want to put up with the torture any longer.

"I'll walk you to the front," he offered quietly and she smiled at him vibrantly.

"Oh, thank you!"

The minutes ticked by as he led her through the halls, down the paths and under the covered walkways. When they finally reached the front entrance, she turned and bowed.

"Thank you so much for everything. I hope you know that I thoroughly enjoyed working with you. I hope that we shall meet again soon!" she told him smiling, and walked off down the path to the gates. As he watched, a hand slipped into his. Momiji. Tears were falling from his eyes, but he didn't wipe them away. _Goodbye, Kana. Thank you._

_I know we'll meet again,_

_But I wish it'd never end._

_You don't have to make me cry, _

_But it's so hard to say goodbye…_

_Say goodbye._

_Sanctus Real: Say Goodbye_

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A/N: At last I can use Sanctus's songs! They'll show up in the next chapter too. How did you like Mayu giving him back the ring? She should have kept it and brainwashed him into thinking she was his wife. Lol, I kid.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fruits Basket or Sanctus Real… unfortunately. Well, I'm working on it. :)

**A/N: **Oh, I love this chapter!! It's really unexpected, I think. Nobody could ever predict it!! Muahaha!! Actually, it's not evil at all. It's very good! …And long. XP

* * *

Shigure walked happily down the streets to his beloved Sohma estate on one freezing January morning. It was a Sunday, and the city was abuzz. He was going, of course, to visit Hatori. It was the first time since Kana had left. He was almost afraid, almost worried. But then, he never worried.

Shigure padded through the halls, all the way to his room. He inserted the key in the lock, twisted it, then slipped the key back into his pocket. Then, bracing himself, he turned the knob and opened the door.

Hatori was lying on the couch. He hadn't shaved in two days. His shirt wasn't ironed. He hadn't felt like taking a shower that morning. There were light purple spots under his eyes, which were closed. His socks didn't match. He was an entirely different person. He managed to open his eyes at the sound of Shigure's voice.

"Haa-san! Oh no, this is not good! Get up, get up! Into the shower with you! Brush you teeth! Shave your face! Change your shirt! Make yourself spiffy! This is not like you at all!" his friend cried and heaved him off of the couch. Hatori rubbed his brow. Shigure was wearing a newly discovered kimono and sandals. It fit his friend surprisingly well. He allowed himself to be dragged into the bathroom.

"Shigure… what… why are you here?" he muttered, as his friend started up the water, readied his toothbrush, and got out shaving cream and a razor. Shigure merely smiled.

"That, my friend, is writer's intuition. Now, tidy up – don't take too long, mind you – and then we'll go out or something," Shigure cheerfully chided before closing the door behind him. Hatori sighed, then unbuttoned his shirt.

Fresh, clean, shaven and slightly invigorated, Hatori padded out of his bathroom to find Shigure lying on his couch, watching television. His friend turned around and smiled widely at him.

"_Much,_ much better, Haa-san!" he cried and jumped up excitedly at the sight of his friend all clean. Hatori shrugged, uncommitted. Shigure then went on to circle around him, making sure his white shirt was tucked perfectly into his gray pants, his white vest buttoned, straight, and his tie perfectly tied. Then, quite unexpectedly, he grabbed Hatori by the arm and dragged him toward the door.

"We're going for a walk," Shigure informed him quite sternly. Hatori let himself be led out the door. Shigure seemed happy enough, but Hatori knew that deep down, he was ruffled by his odd, depressed behavior. The city air was fresh and brisk. It was Sunday, and the Tokyo was abuzz with activity. Hatori was glad that Shigure was willing to let him wander around, following obediently. His feet led him down sidewalk after sidewalk, buildings passing slowly. Then, as if directed by some primal instinct, he stopped. Shigure could be heard whimpering slightly in the background. Haa-san had stopped in front _of a church_.

Japan looked down on Christians. Everyone was Buddhist. And here was his best friend, his _mabudachi_, stopped in front of a _church_! A CHURCH! Shigure grabbed Hatori's arm.

"Come on, Haa-san, let's move on," he pleaded. But his friend just slipped his arm out of Shigure's hands and stood, staring. After a momentary pause, he started up the front walk and opened the door. Grinding his teeth, Shigure followed.

Miko Tarahama was busy trying to find the CD she had purchased for her youth group. An interesting band they were, Christian, from America. Sanctus Real. Today she was doing her "music report" on them. And even though her English was rough, she and the others enjoyed them immensely. Frustrated, she padded out into the front of the church. A strange, very tall, striking man stood, looking quite lost and confused. His jet black hair hung just in front of his left eye, which was bright blue-green. Amazingly good looking was the only thought that crossed her mind as he spotted her.

"Excuse me, but I am wondering if you could show me around," he said quietly, and she was immediately charmed by his voice. Indescribable. She loved it more than Matt Hammit's. Fixing a friendly, helpful smile on her lips, she bowed.

"Miko Tarahama. I'm sure I could… um, I'm sorry, I am afraid I don't know your name," she straightened. He bowed to her in turn.

"Of course. Hatori Sohma." He was so polite! A bit old though…

"Miko!" a sharp voice sounded from behind her. She whipped around to find Pastor Rob striding down the hall toward them. His eyes were puzzled, perceptive. She loved his eyes! He reached them and squeezed her shoulder as he bowed to the man – Hatori – in greeting. "I'm sorry, sir. Miko-chan here was looking for her compact disk. I hope she didn't inconvenience you?" Rob asked warmly. Hatori cast a sideways glance at her before bowing back.

"Not at all. She was just about to show me around," he replied smoothly. Another man, this one wearing a kimono, opened to door slickly and stepped inside. He didn't look particularly happy. Spying her, he winked hugely and stepped in between Pastor and Hatori.

"Excuse my behavior, gentlemen, (and women) but my dear Haa-san really must be going-"

"Shigure." One word. The man shut up. It was amazing! "I apologize for my cousin's interruption. He is under the impression that I am not in my right mind. I, however, beg to differ." Hatori was _almost_ smiling. Miko had the sudden urge to snigger at them. Unfortunately, she was very bad at holding back laughter.

"Miko!" Pastor Rob cried angrily. "Control yourself, my dear! Our guests are under the impression that we are rude and inhospitable!" The two Sohmas however, were looking quite amused. At least Shigure was. Hatori was quite the reserved one. She gasped and smiled at them as she finally stopped.

"Sorry. Hey Rob, I'm going to find my CD. That's why I even came out here anyway," Miko told him before skipping happily off down the hall. Shigure waved after her happily. Hatori glared fiercely at him and Shigure pouted but stopped.

They introduced themselves to Rob, a man whose parents had once been to America (his father was American) and had given their son a foreign name. In turn, he had come back to Japan and become a pastor at this church. His Japanese was very well spoken, and they would have never guessed he hadn't moved here as a teenager.

Hatori decided he would like to hear Miko's music report, and they headed down to the youth room. A group of about seven was gathered, and they all greeted him and Shigure gratefully. There were Yume, Rena, Hotaru and Miko for the girls; Tohru, Shugo, and Takumi for the guys. They were all chatting away happily with each other. Tohru stood and offered his spot on the couch to Hatori immediately, then sat on the floor next to him.

"So, you're a doctor, eh man?" he asked, smiling broadly. Hatori dipped his head. "Sweet! Hey, I think you'll like this. Miko's got a great ear. We really do like Sanctus… Course, I don't know about you, being older and all that…" he trailed off and watched as Miko inserted the disk into the player and began pushing buttons. Then he turned and laughed right out at Shigure.

"Ah ha, what a perv!" he gasped. "Flirting with all the girls! 'S he always like this?" Tohru laughed. Hatori smiled ruefully.

"Unfortunately, yes," he replied as Tohru rolled around on the floor. Miko turned, glaring ferociously at them.

"Shut up! It's time for my report!" she yelled. Everyone laughed as she coughed daintily before hitting play. "Sanctus Real is an American Christian band, which I find amazing! The following is the first track from their latest album 'The Face Of Love.' It's called 'I'm Not Alright,' and it focuses on a man's mental stability after he's been desensitized by the world… or something. Please enjoy it!" The song opened with heavy guitar rifts that died down to reveal a softly singing voice. Miko giggled. "It's Matt!!" she whispered excitedly.

_If weakness is a wound,_

_That no one wants to speak of, _

_Then cool is just how far we have to fall._

Hatori listened intently. There was something about this song that made his heart pound against his ribs…

_I am not immune,_

_I only want to be loved,  
But I feel safe behind the firewall._

Was he hiding behind a firewall? Blocking off contact and emotion from the outside?

_Can I lose my need to impress?_

_If you want the truth,_

_I'll need to confess…_

_I'm not alright,_

_I'm broken inside,_

_Broken inside._

_And all I go through,_

_It leads me to you,_

_It leads me to you…_

The feeling was overwhelming, and he crashed to his knees, tears streaming down his face. The song! It was almost like Kana… was here! But it was so much stronger, the feeling. He felt like his heart would explode. A greater being was drawing him closer… and closer…

_Burn away the pride,_

_Bring me to my weakness,_

'_Til everything I hide behind is gone._

_And when I'm open wide,_

_With nothing left to cling to,_

_Only you are there to lead me on._

'_Cause honestly,_

_I'm not that strong…_

Tohru was right next to him, calling his name, and Miko was down in front of him with Rob and Shigure. The others clustered around him.

"Haa-san!"

"Hatori!"

"Hatori-kun!"

Everyone was shouting at the same time. They were frantic. He could feel Shigure and Rob pulling him to his feet, helping him out of the room. Miko and Tohru followed close behind.

"My office. We need to get him to my office," Rob panted as they dragged the deadweight Hatori through the halls of the church. He stumbled along on legs that were limp and defective. The song! What had made him collapse?

_I'm not alright,_

_I'm broken inside,_

_Broken inside…_

Yes, that was it. Those three, innocent lines. He could feel them lower him into a chair. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and he cautiously opened them. Blinding light! All around him! Then, it faded and brought intense calm that he did not know possible. He saw Miko kneeling in front of his chair, Tohru standing next to her; Rob behind him and Shigure hovering nervously around the back of the party

"Lights… my chest…" Hatori mumbled and Shigure leapt over as Rob frowned and went to get water. Miko and Tohru however, were grinning broadly.

"Lights!" Miko cried excitedly to Tohru.

"His chest!" Tohru yelled back.

"Do you know what this means?!" they demanded together. Shigure looked totally bewildered, and Hatori was ready to agree. But the two teenagers were smiling happily at them. "_GOD_!!" they yelled, then began to dance around. "He's here! Hatori-chan, you've just been touched!" Miko squealed as Tohru jumped up on Rob's desk and began to dance. He stared.

"Don't ever call me that again," he growled. Shigure was looking suddenly inspired.

"Haa-chan…" he muttered eyes dreamy as he stared out into space. Tohru jumped down and pounded him on the back heartily.

"That's the spirit, Shigure-ko!" Shigure popped out of his reverie and stared, horrified.

"What did you just call me?" he whimpered at Tohru helplessly. Hatori snorted, Miko hit Tohru and he in turn began to bawl pathetically as Rob walked in with a large glass of water.

"Gays," Miko muttered disgustedly. Rob shook his, defeated.

"What do I do with them?" he hissed to Hatori as Miko began to badger Tohru and Shigure relentlessly. Hatori smiled and accepted the water gratefully. Miko turned to Rob, face lit up with excitement.

"Rob, can we tell him? Can I explain? Please?" she cried, tugging on his sleeve. He smiled.

"You can help. I'm sure Hatori-kun would find it much more interesting hearing it from you than me… but I _am _the pastor." Miko frowned, but then shrugged her shoulders. She pulled over two chairs, Rob taking one, she the other. Tohru motioned for Shigure to join. He reluctantly did.

"Christianity is very hard to come by here in Japan. Our church is extremely small. We only have about fifty members or so. However, in America, and some places in Europe, the religion is the majority. In my mind, it makes the most sense, too. There is a _ton_ of background information to us. Most of our book, the Bible, is the Old Testament, or the very beginning, before Jesus, when everyone was devoted to God, there were tons of prophets, and tons of other tales of peril and adventure. But let me tell you—these stories all have the very same background. _God is always there to lead you and help you in difficult times._ Always. He never once left behind Moses or Abraham! Of course, it will take time and reading on your part to understand. But you look like the type of person who enjoys a good book, Hatori-kun, and you too, Shigure-san.

"Now, years and years later, after countless predictions by Old Testament prophets, there was a young couple living in Nazareth. They were engaged to be married. Joseph was a carpenter, and his wife's name was Mary. Now, Mary was at home one day, Joseph presumably working. She was doing… things that women of the time did when their husbands were gone-"

"Cooking and cleaning, though we can't be sure," Miko interrupted. Tohru snickered, and everyone glared at him.

"Yes, as I was _saying_," Rob glowered, "cooking and cleaning and such. Suddenly-"

"You make it sound shocking and dramatic," Miko whined. "Dorky. Be more mellow," she demanded. Rob seethed lightly.

"It's _mellower_ by the way. Anyway, an angel of God appeared out of nowhere!"

"Yes, quite outrageous. But, Rob, you forgot to tell them about God! He's the whole point of this story!"

"Darn it Miko, can you let me be for _five minutes_?! I'm _trying_ to help-"

"Fine. _I'll _explain it. God is three in one. Like an apple! Apples have multiple parts – skin, flesh, and seeds. But it's still an apple. God's parts just don't consist of seeds, skin and flesh. Here's another analogy; I like it better. Take… I don't know… you in ten (or maybe less!) years. You'll have kids, most likely. You'll be a father. _But_, you're also a son!! Ne? Understand? I'm not sucking to much, am I?" Miko asked, slightly worried. Everyone shook their heads, Rob looking especially proud.

"You never told us what God's parts were," Shigure pointed out. She frowned.

"Damn, I knew I'd forget something!" she moaned. "Oh well. God is the three in one – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I'm sure Rob would just love to continue where he left off now."

"Of course. The angel was there, appearing to Mary, because it had an extremely important message from God himself! She was pregnant, going to bring God's only son into the world, to raise and protect him! And Mary, on her knees, simply said, 'let your will be done.' Amazing, right? Well, the Holy Spirit was the one who conceived the child. When Joseph found out, he was quite upset and planned to divorce her. But the Holy Spirit came to him in a dream and forbade him from doing so, explaining that it wasn't his child, and telling him to name it Jesus, Immanuel-God with us. The boy grew and studied his father's laws, and grew in his faith-even though he was quite knowledgeable already. And he traveled all over Israel, teaching. Eventually, the teachers of the law and heads of the Jewish faith were annoyed by him and plotted to kill him. One of his close followers betrayed him. They killed him-crucified to be exact. Just as it was written. Their love quickly turned to hatred. But the joy of it was this-he died so we wouldn't have to! He died as a punishment for all your sins! He forgave everyone. And you know what? After three days, he rose from the dead to prove he was God. Then, he eventually rose into heaven before his disciples' eyes."

"They need background on God and the Spirit, Rob," Miko, thoroughly bored, piped up.

"Naturally. God is quite simple to explain, though difficult for some to understand. He is eternal. He has no beginning, no end. He's no man on a lotus leaf, nor has he ever started out in a human form to be proclaimed a god when he died. He resides in Heaven, surrounded by his angels. No one becomes an angel when they die. God can only create angels. A common misconception. But, you _can_ go to Heaven-except you must sincerely ask for complete and total forgiveness. All your sins will be forgiven, your slate wiped clean. I'm sure you understand?"

Hatori stared at his hands, petrified at the thoughts of what they'd done; of how many times he'd sinned with these hands alone.

"God does have an enemy, though. One who's intent on power and destruction. The devil…Satan." Tohru and Miko shuddered visibly. "He was once an angel. But he quit, taking with him many of God's own workers, I suppose you could call them. He is always at work, tempting and leading many away from the Father. Many are aware of the danger, yet are still caught in its trap. Others, too few, can evade him… not easily, unfortunately. Continuing on to the Holy Spirit… it is the part of God that we all feel inside, feel around us, and who affects us physically. The Holy Spirit is carrying out God's work here on earth. Hopefully this helps you understand our faith more. I'll let Tohru explain your run-in earlier. He's very good at this sort of thing." Rob leaned back in his chair, content. Tohru grinned evilly.

"Alright! Well, hopefully I can help you, Man. You're pretty sweet. See, God touches people in so many different ways. Through Miko, it was dreams. She can tell you later how messed up her life was before this, but she kept having dreams about Him and utter peace and calm. That's all she apparently wanted to do, was sleep. And then, one day, she ran into Rob. She ran to him, and of course he was shocked. But that didn't stop him from helping her. Now, they're like father and daughter. With me, it was a kid at school. He was in his last year. It was a while ago, actually. But he always hung out with me after he got these bullies to quit shoving me around. So, for you, that Sanctus song apparently had some sort of emotional connection to you in a very obvious or maybe more subtle way. But whatever it was, God used it to move you beyond what you might have been had you casually been listening to it without Him around. Not that he would leave you or anything…. It's too bad you missed the service. We just started a series on showing faith. Next, we're gonna do the purpose of life. Sweet, yeah? You guys should definitely come next Sunday! Service is at 10:30, and Rob is of course the pastor!" Tohru finished, to be smiled at by the minister appraisingly.

Hatori really wanted to come. Shigure, he could tell, though intrigued, wasn't for it at all. But since when did he listen to Shigure?

"Yes, I think I would like to come… to come and learn more," he said softly, smiling down at his hands. Miko's face softened and spit into a lovely smile.

"You will come hang out with us afterwards, right? Then you can figure out how everyone was lead to God. It will be a good experience, no doubt. Please, Hatori-kun?" she begged. He met her eyes. There, showing plainly – love. Nothing like he had ever seen before. It reminded him of when he was little, his mother singing him to sleep, stroking his cheek; his father showing him all of the tools in his doctor's bag and explaining everyone in detail as Hatori reached out his small hands and begged to try them himself. It was different from Kana. Almost as if she was willing to be his family without even knowing him. He found himself nodding, eyes burning.

"Yes… yes, I will be there." She smiled and got up. Offering him her hand, she asked:

"Come on… I'll tell you about me. And you can tell me about you, Tori-nii." Hatori let her pull him to his feet and ignored Shigure, who Tohru promptly kicked.

"Miko has a boyfriend, O Queer One," he whispered. Shigure's face fell slightly.

Hatori followed Miko to the youth room as she hummed under her breath. _Tori-nii_… she wanted him to be her brother! He felt warm inside, accepted, as if he had passed the hardest test on earth with flying colors.

Miko opened the door for Hatori as he walked in, hands in his pockets. She smiled. Sitting down in her favorite chair, she closed her eyes.

"Tori-nii… are you broken?"

He froze, staring. Her eyes were closed, she was totally relaxed. Should he tell her?

"I… am troubled, yes. Not about today… but about the past. I… she… it's complicated." His voice choked. Miko flipped open an eye.

"You don't have to talk. You can talk whenever you feel like it. But that song wouldn't have that effect on someone who wasn't… uneasy. I was broken once. I…was into gangs and roughing up people. It was kinda fun… I learned the most colorful words, how to win every fight, how to use every type of drug that you could possibly find on the street, and how to intimidate others. I was amazing at gang work. And then I began to have these dreams. I was surrounded by happy laughing people. It was… a long time ago in the first one. Everyone was wearing robes and it was dry and dusty. Mules pulled carts. I walked along the streets and I came to a house. It was stifling hot, packed with people. And there was a man preaching. He was just like any other man in the dream. But he looked right at me and I felt fear. I fell to my knees and woke up. The others I was surrounded by blinding lights, just walking. I felt so calm. And there was a voice. I don't even remember what it was saying. Just that I loved falling asleep because I knew the dreams would come. One night I dreamed that I was following a man. He turned around… I know now that it was Rob. But the next day, I went to the grocery store… and there he was!" she smiled. "Very exciting, I know. I wish the others were still here… pity that youth ended fifteen minutes ago." She studied his face.

It was totally smooth, a perfect mask. Except for the fact that it was wet… wet with tears. His hands covered it. Sobs racked his body. She stood up and walked over to him, brimming with concern.

"You… don't know how it feels… when your own hands… are the reason… she's gone," he sobbed softly. Miko knelt down and gently took his hands away from his face. Tears. Dripping all over him and her; his and hers.

"Tell me," she whispered. "Tell me, please. I want to help you, Tori-nii." He simply placed his hand over her eyes.

She was in a dark room, kneeling before a strange man. He had black hair and eyes of ice. She barely suppressed a shudder. And she could hear herself asking him for permission to marry. He flew up in a rage. There was another man that ran over as she stood. She realized with a start that it was Shigure.

The man's hands were digging through the air. She could hear footsteps come from behind. The man's hands found a vase, and he swung it. Her sharp intake of breath mirrored the pain of the impact. Blood was splattered on the floor as a woman knelt in front of her, trying to help. She could feel her hands lower away from the eye and the girl's expression of horror as the ice man began to yell.

It faded away to a scene of that same woman hunched away from her, curled up in a corner as she extended her hand. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Then a different scene, one in a large airy room with many windows. The poor girl was lying on the floor in front of her as she knelt down. Placing a hand over her eyes, memories flashed; memories of love, and good times. Then the blinding flash of light. As it faded, Miko saw the girl sprawled back on the floor, unconscious, crying. And then she saw the snow. And it seemed to her as if all of the falling flakes were tears, trailing down the face of God himself as he ended the saga between these two people.

She was barely aware of Hatori's hand falling away from her face. All she knew was that he had just shown something forbidden and rare; something magical and dangerous. And she felt his immense pain. The pain of having a dead eye, the pain of a loved one leaving. She could only sit there in stunned silence.

"Hatori-kun… oh, my poor Hatori!" she cried quietly. His face was pained.

"No… no you don't! No one does! No one… can save me. Not even… not even…"

Miko laughed sadly. "You have a lot to learn, Haa-chan. but I will teach you. If you need anything, you can come to me. Because sometimes it's hard to accept something that's not right in front of your face. But you can learn. I will help. Do not be afraid… I am with you. And so is God." He simply held her hands, rested his head on her shoulder, and cried; hard.

* * *

Church ended, and the small congregation all poured out into the narthex – the area behind the sanctuary, Hatori learned. They all smiled at him and shook his hand, talking casually about trivial and not so trivial things.

"I really enjoyed it," he smiled at Rob. The man laughed.

"I'm glad! You're really absorbing everything better than I thought you would. Wait… Miko's been tutoring you, hasn't she?" Rob laughed. Hatori smiled. It was true. Miko had been helping him quite a bit. And after each session, it was as if a tiny piece of him had been restored. Slowly, he was beginning to understand. No longer was God just some man's idea about what had happened to him last week. He was real and becoming clearer every day.

"I am going to help with youth… they won't let me say no," Hatori told the pastor. Rob smiled.

"Oh good. I think they have something to give you," he replied mysteriously then walked off to talk with an old lady.

Upon entering the youth room, he was greeted with whistles and shouts.

"Hey, welcome back, Haa-kun!" Shugo cried.

"Yay, you came!" Rena and Yume both yelled.

"Hi Hatori," Hotaru waved as she entered from the other door.

"Cheers, man!"

"We saved you a seat!" Tohru and Takumi said, though not as perfect as the girls. Miko just smiled at him. She was holding a wrapped package.

"Here, Tori-nii. We have a gift for you." She held out the present and he walked over and opened it with gentle hands. The paper drifted down to the floor and he held in his hands, a Bible. His own Bible! Miko smiled and everyone else did too.

"We thought you might like one for yourself, Hatori-chan," Hotaru said quietly. "Everyone should have a Bible."

"Yeah. It's easy to understand, too," Takumi added. "NIV version; everything's spelled out nice and clean." Hatori didn't know what to say. He was so happy! He made up his mind as Rob came in.

"Thank you… so much. It… this book means so much to me. Thank you." Rob sat down and smiled. "I know you all have accepted me with open arms. I hope your views will never change. But I know so much about you and you know nothing about me. So I'm going to tell you. Tell you about… her. You all deserve to know." Everyone scooted forward in their seats. Hatori took one next to Rob.

He started from the beginning. From when he first chose his intern, to when she left. He of course left out the curse and the memory suppression. In stunned silence, he felt a hand – Rob. Hotaru wiped her tears. Shugo, Takumi and Tohru stared, not sure how to act. Rena and Yuki came and took his hands. Miko just stared at the floor, deep in thought. Her bangs which had been perfectly straightened and parted so they fell just over her left eye weren't near as neat. Her face was sullen. Her perfect black hair seemed limp and lifeless, unlike the previous days he had seen her.

"I think we should pray," she said quietly. Rob nodded and every one formed a circle, joined by their hands. Bowing their heads, Rob lead them in prayer and they went around the circle adding in things here and there. The prayed for Kana's happiness, and his. That he would find someone and be able to confide in them completely. They prayed that the joy of the Lord would be his strength.

They cried together and agreed one thing – nothing they had said would leave this room. Hatori left feeling refreshed and understood, whole. And it stayed with him the rest of the day.

**

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A/N: Gah, didn't you just love it?! I do. This is probably my favorite chapter... just because it's uber long. Lol, I kid. You know who's good? tobyMac. He's sweet; he's like, a rapper, yo. Okay, I'll stop. I'm scaring myself. Too bad his songs are too random to use in this… Takaya-sensei did say that Tohru was actually a boy's name. But don't worry; he'll be shipped off to college before you know it.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket or any of the bands that may show up in here. That is not yet my privilege…

**A/N:** Oh my gosh, this chapter cracks me up!! I cannot stop laughing! Maybe because I know my own sense of humor, but my friend like it too. Will you?

* * *

They all stood in a circle around the small flowering tree. Heads bowed hands held, it was eerily silent. The tree would eventually sprout lovely pink flowers and was four feet tall. Despite the fact that it was January, it had just been placed in a freshly dug hole. The wind battered it relentlessly, but the tree stood. A chorus of "Amen" echoed throughout the group and they broke apart.

"Tohru, you're so mean," whined Rena as they headed back inside. Tohru looked confused.

"Me? Mean? How, my dear?"

Rena sniffed. "Well, first you made us come out here in the cold with a _tree_ of all things and then you made us dig a hole in solid ice," she whimpered. Tohru scoffed.

"I would _never_ make you dig a hole in solid ice, my sweet Rena. And besides, this is frozen dirt, not ice."

"Whatever."

Hotaru shivered as she and Hatori walked back to the church. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his black coat. He was freezing.

"Did you like it?" she asked. Hatori smiled.

"Very much. It was lovely."

"We thought we needed to pay tribute to you and Kana. So we went out and bought a tree. It will flower, eventually, come spring."

"It was very thoughtful. I am glad I decided to come here every Sunday."

"Hey, Hatori-chan, what made you believe so quickly?" Hotaru asked hesitantly. "I mean, Miko explained it to you that day and you just kept on coming like you'd done it your whole life. It didn't seem… natural. Many people don't like to trust things they can't see. Many people look down on us. Was it because you were touched by that song?"

Hatori thought quietly for a moment. "I didn't believe it right away. I thought it was crazy. A god that was three in one. A god who had no beginning and no end. There was little that made sense. But I had been touched. And it sounded hopeful. I was tired of being so bleak and cold. I wanted to be loved. So I reluctantly accepted Miko's invitation of study, and it unraveled bit by bit. There is still a ton to understand. But I get the basics…and some advanced things."

Hotaru smiled. "I was confused. I'm sorry." He watched her silently.

"Don't be."

* * *

A new year was here. I was slowly melting. Just a bit. If you collected the water, it wouldn't even fill one handful. Spring arrived, and my tree, which the youth christened Kanora (I wonder why;) sprouted beautiful flowers. Every Sunday, if was a dry week, I watered it. Sometimes, out of sheer curiosity, Shigure tagged along to church with me. Miko and Yume loved him. Then came summer. It was impossible to forget.

* * *

"Hatori!" Miko cried, running up to him. "Hatori, we're going to the beach!" her face was glowing and she was out of breath from running.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy it," he told her, indifferent. Miko crossed her arms and walked with him to the church, shooting icy stares.

"I ran all the way from the youth room when I saw your car only to be told 'Have fun?' Hello! You're coming with us! It'll be me, Yume, Shugo, Rena, Tohru, Takumi, Hotaru, and Rob! And, we're inviting Shigure-kun too! You _can't_ just brush us off, Sohma, because you're one of us! If I say _we're_ going to the beach, then that includes you too!"

Hatori stared. "You invited _Shigure_?!" he almost yelled. "…I don't swim," he added. She grinned evilly.

"Please? There's a book store down by the beach house too! I think it's like Shiraki Books or something like that. And Rob is bringing a _ton_ of sake! You can get drunk! And the beach isn't all about swimming! We're just spending a week there. On Monday, we'll drive down. Tuesday we'll go to the beach and swim and Wednesday we'll shop or go see a movie or something. Thursday we go back to the beach and Friday we leave! It's so simple! _Please_!" she cried. Hatori's mind was numb.

Maybe it was the mention of getting drunk with a pastor. Maybe it was the question of how to get Akito to let him go. Maybe it was the horror of having to spend a whole five days with his little fiendish friends-and two of them in a car! Or maybe, just maybe, it was the mention of an old friend's bookstore… and old friend he'd been too afraid to talk with for a whole year. Who he'd avoided because he was positive she would eat him alive for what he did to her friend. Who he'd purposefully evaded because his deep innermost self that jumped when he heard her name. Or maybe he just didn't want to be yelled at for his younger cousins' idiotic, stupid acts and behavior in her classroom.

"Hatori…?" Miko asked, and he jerked out of his thoughts. Turning slightly pink, he resumed his brisk walk to the church doors. "So, are you coming?" she asked, running to catch up with him.

"Yes…yes, I'll come," he sighed, and held open the door for her. With a squeal of delight, she made to throw her arms around him. He stuck out a hand and caught her. She made a face at him.

"Why won't you let me hug you?" she steamed. Then, doing a complete u-turn, she smiled and laughed as she skipped down the hall. Hatori raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and walked quietly into the sanctuary.

* * *

Hatori leaned back in his chair, eyes lighting on the photograph of Kana that he had framed and placed on his shelf. His heart clenched and he looked away. He could still remember the day Ayame had given that picture to him, with many others.

_"Tori-san! I have just the thing to cheer you up!" Ayame cried, allowing himself into the doctor's office. He held out his hands. A large box was cradled, and Hatori gently took it. Opening the lid, he found every picture Ayame had ever taken of him and Kana. On top was his favorite. She was wearing a flowing skirt, walking around the bushes at the main house to come meet them on the porch. It had been a beautiful summer day, he recalled. Tears burned at his eyes._

_"Thank you, Ayame. Thank you."_

Standing, he walked deliberately and painfully. Going to Akito's room always made him nervous. He knocked gently and a voice thick from sleep moaned "Come in." Hatori opened the door. Akito was sitting in a chair, looking out the window, obviously trying to nap. Hatori had no idea why, but he smiled and walked over, rubbing the head's shoulder. Akito touched his arm and leaned on him.

"Feeling any better?" Hatori asked, genuinely concerned. The head snuggled up against him.

"Yes. Why are you here? Did you come to comfort me? Do you have another conference you need to go to and you're asking me permission?" he yawned, eyes closed as he leaned heavily against the doctor. Hatori blinked. That was it! He had to go to a conference and Shigure wanted to come as well… perfect!

"I came to do both," he said truthfully. Akito smiled.

"Then go. Anything to improve your doctoring skills. Not that you're not amazing already…"

"Shigure requests that he may come as well," Hatori added. Akito shrugged.

"Some dumb ass writer's calling, I suppose. Tell him he can tag along. I won't mind." Akito smiled thinking of all the foods he could eat and places he could go with Hatori gone. Freedom!

* * *

Monday afternoon, all hell broke loose at the church. They had decided that Hatori was driving, but his car was too small. The solution? They had rented… a _bus_. A giant, forest-green-with-cream-stripes bus. The ugliest kind.

"I am _not_ driving that – that - _thing_!" he snapped. Tohru moaned.

"Come on, I wanna go to the _beeeeaach_," he whined. Shigure was whimpering right next to him.

"Please Haa-san! I wanna go too!" he cried. Hatori glared at them.

"Great, I'm going to have to put up with _all of you_ with me in the same car for two hours!" he growled. "Rob is riding shotgun. He's the only sensible one out of this whole group! Everyone else can fight over seats. First, rules. No music and no fighting. No yelling. No hanging out of the windows. No stripping, no making out and no injuring each other. No kicking the seat in front of you. No shouting at me, or drivers of other cars. Eating and drinking are allowed. There will be _one_ rest stop along the way. No crying or making anyone cry-that falls under fighting. No throwing and no swearing. Only _I'm _allowed to swear. Got that? Now, get in."

Everyone piled in, fighting and pushing for the best seats. Tohru, Takumi and Shugo. Rena, Yuki, Miko and Hotaru. Finally, Rob, Shigure and Hatori. They were all in and situated. Hatori clicked in his seat belt and turned around.

"Seat belts are to be worn at all times. Ready?" he demanded. A chorus of "yes" some more enthusiastic that others, rocked the bus. Hatori turned the key; and they were off!

_Half an hour later…_

"Hey Hatori?" Shugo asked.

"Hmm?"

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

_Five minutes later…_

"Hey Hatori?" Shugo asked.

"Yes?"

"Are we there yet?"

"_No_."

_Ten minutes after that…_

"Hey Hatori?" Shugo asked.

"What?!"

"How about now? Are we there yet _now_?"

"No!"

"When are we going to be there? Drive faster! DO IT!"

"_NO!_ And what did I say about yelling?!"

"Sorry…. Are you _sure_ you can't go any faster?"

"_Positive_."

"Oh… Are we there yet now?"

"NO!!"

After a grueling two hours, the doors flew open and the youth (with Shigure, Hatori and Rob) spilled out and popped the trunk. Grabbing luggage, they ran to the door of their monstrous beach house. Beautiful white brick covered the outside and the door was painted a lovely plum purple. The whole house was a foreign design. There were ledges outside of the windows, and flowers rested happily there. Rob unlocked the door and they fell inside, excited beyond measure.

White tiled floors, spotless, greeted their eyes. A sunken great room was just in front of them with double doors leading out to a deck that overlooked the ocean. To their left was a smaller room with a fireplace and a few squishy leather chairs. Then, between that room and the great room ran a hallway. At the end was a bathroom and on each side there was a door. Two bedrooms! To their right was the dining room with the table and mats. Then the kitchen was right next to that, connected to the great room as well. A back stairway lead up to the second story from the kitchen. Upstairs there were four more bedrooms and two baths.

The youth ran to claim bedrooms. The girls claimed the downstairs, two to a room. The others dragged luggage up the stairway to the upstairs rooms. The three guys claimed the biggest room and Hatori, Shigure and Rob each took their pick of the others. Unpacking took a good half hour, and then everyone was outside on the deck, inspecting the fire pit and peering down at the pool below. Finally they decided to eat dinner. The girls cast them evil smiles and set to work. Hatori and the others were perfectly happy to lean back in their chairs around the fire pit.

Dinner actually wasn't bad. Miko lived with a dad who was gone most of the time working and a mother who just didn't care. She apparently laid on the couch all day smoking pot. She was forced to cook. Rena was good at following directions, making her invaluable. Yume had "studied" how to set tables and such, and Hotaru just plain loved cooking. They presented the most amazing meal, and everyone was well beyond full when dinner was complete. Ron broke out the sake and Shigure had brought along a bottle of wine, which he generously poured out for the three of them.

Hatori yawned and drained his glass. The youth had long tired of walking the beach, terrorizing each other and chasing themselves through the house, and swimming in the pool (oh the mosquitoes!) and had gone up to sleep. Hatori was feeling inclined to join them. His glass hit the table and he got up and stretched his legs.

"I'm going to bed," he muttered and trudged up the stairs. Shigure shrugged and burped.

"More for us!"

The beach was ridiculously hot, as Hatori found out the hard way Tuesday. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his shirt unbuttoned the top four. His feet were bare and were smarting from the heat of the sand. The guys were out splashing and boogie boarding and chasing the girls. The girls who didn't feel inclined to join the fun in the water tanned and read or slept. Rob was up on the shore with Hatori enjoying lemonade and sun.

Shigure had gone all out and was sprawled out in a beach chair with his rainbow umbrella positioned to keep him in the shade. He had a book up against his stomach and a glass of lemonade in his left hand. He snored gently to the rhythm of the waves lapping the beach. His gaudy floral patterned swimsuit (thankfully he had steered away from Speedos) was as dry as the sand between his toes. Hatori smirked as his friend's glasses slid slightly down his nose.

Miko was tired. Her hair had been pulled back into a pony tail, but had come out and was hanging, drenched, around her face. She skipped through the waves up to where her towel lay on the beach. She shook her head, trying to un-plaster her bangs from her brow. She scooped up her towel and dried herself off the best she could. Straightening her pink polka-dotted bikini, she plopped down next to Hatori and Rob.

"The water is amazing," she sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head towards the sun. She opened one eye and peered at Shigure. A smile spread slowly across her lips. Standing, she tiptoed over to her bag and began to dig through it. Pulling out a Sharpie permanent marker, she shot a sideways glance at Hatori. He smiled slightly and dipped his head in approval.

Grinning absolutely evilly, Miko slowly crept over to where Shigure was snoring and pulled the cap off the marker. Checking one last time with Hatori, she quickly drew the largest, most ridiculous handlebar mustache across Shigure's upper lip. Then, giggling insanely, she added a goatee to his chin before capping the marker, throwing it in her bag, and rolling around on the sand laughing hysterically. Life was good.

* * *

Wednesday morning, Hatori stumbled out of bed and into the kitchen. It had been so hot the night before he hadn't worn a shirt to bed. Of course, Shigure shot him looks and the girls winked at him, but they didn't mind. Besides, Takumi had done worse.

"And we're not getting into that again," Yume glared and the boy blushed. "So, what are we going to do today? Shopping? I'm sure Hatori will want to check out that book store. Or maybe a movie, too. Or we could go on a dolphin watch or rent bikes or something," she added. Hatori thought.

"Yes, I am definitely going to the book store. It's actually closer to home than it is form here, but I'm still going." Shigure smirked. "What?"

"You have fun, Haa-san. I'm sure Mayu-chan will be delighted to see you." Rena perked up at the mention of a girl.

"Oh, that lady that was Kana's friend! But you said she didn't always work the store," Rena exclaimed.

"She doesn't," Hatori grumbled. "I'll go after breakfast. Then I'll come back and pick you all up after you decide what you're going to do." He stood up and left, plodding up the stairs to shave and shower.

"I love the biceps," Hotaru sighed. Miko grinned dreamily.

"I prefer the six-pack myself. That is one _amazing_ ab job."

"The chest! Obviously the chest!" Yume piped up.

"Oh, please, I'd take it all!" Rena cried and they all laughed.

Hatori had parked _way_ down the street from the store. If there was any chance at all of seeing Mayu, then he definitely didn't want to be seen driving that hunk of crap. He walked over checking to make sure his suit was perfect. Taking a deep breath, he pulled open the door. The creak made him smile. It was the same as before. An older woman sat at the counter. Turning sharply to his favorite rack to hide his disappointment, Hatori began to leaf through the books. The woman greeted him and he dipped his head.

He carefully paid for his books and left, feeling extremely disappointed. As he walked down the street towards his bus, he caught a glimpse of gold. Her hair glinting in the sun! It was just in the corner of his eye, and he wheeled around to see Mayu pulling open the door to the store and disappearing inside. She kept her head down the whole time. Hatori felt elated just by the sight of her, even if it was just a peek. Trying to push the feeling way off to the side, he made the drive back to the beach house in record time, unable to get the flash of gold out of his mind.

They had all decided to go shopping, then eat lunch and then go out on a dolphin watch. Hatori tagged along, smiling at his friends as they ran around to different stores. Rena bought almost everything she laid eyes on, while Yuki, Miko and Hotaru simply purchased shirts and beaded necklaces. The guys bought sandals, shirts, and beach towels, which they flaunted by tying around their necks like capes.

Lunch was a grueling affair, seeing as no one wanted to eat at the same place. Shigure, wearing his new shirt, flip flops, shorts and hat, finally suggested that they just go back to the beach house. Everyone immediately chose the same restaurant.

"Works like magic," he sighed, and the youth all glared at him.

The dolphin watch was actually fun. Unable to contain her excitement, Hotaru used up a whole roll of film, shooting at anything that looked remotely like a dolphin. Hatori ended up taking the camera and taking pictures for her. It was extremely difficult with the girl shrieking in his ear every time she saw a flicker of movement (they're called _waves_ Hotaru).

It was late. Hatori was so drunk he could barely stand, but he, Shigure and Rob had still decided to walk the beach and watch the sunset with the teens. It was still stiflingly hot, and Hatori, in his giddy state of mind, had rolled his pants up to his knees, shirt up to his elbows, and had his tie slung around his neck, untied. His bare feet stumbled along. He couldn't remember being this drunk for years! Shigure lurched into him, and Rob drunkenly caught them. The others just laughed, staying close by, just in case.

They helped him up to bed which he collapsed into and somehow managed to change. Not bothering to unmake his bed and snuggle under the covers, Hatori fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

It was Thursday night. Once again he found himself walking the beach, alone. His shirt and pants weren't rolled, but his feet were bare. The sunset was brilliant, filled with vibrant pinks, oranges, yellow, and even some purple. It entranced him and he knew it was God.

A voice was calling his name. He turned. It was Mayu! She ran toward him, hair streaming. He opened his arms and she slung her arms around his neck, careful to keep a distance between them. She was smiling so happily.

"Hatori-kun! Oh, it's been so long! I can't believe it! You're just as handso-" she stopped abruptly and blushed deeply. "Sorry." He smiled, and her lovely brown eyes drew him in.

"I'm glad to see you, too." Leaning closer, he closed his eyes and his lips touched hers. He could feel her stiffen in surprise, then kiss him back. It was so wonderful! Like heaven…

She pulled slowly away. "I've always loved you, Hatori. I always will." He opened his mouth to answer, but she placed a finger on his lips. "Don't. Just let me take it all in…" Then, in a voice extremely Shigure-like, she said, "Haa-san! Oh no, you've overslept! Time to wake up!" Winking mischievously at him, she turned and ran down the beach. It all faded, and Hatori could feel someone shaking him.

He groaned and opened his eyes. Shigure was all dressed up for the beach, and had even let Miko draw him a mustache and goatee beforehand. He was grinning idiotically. "Having sweet dreams?" he crooned. "You looked so peaceful and happy just now. I hate to wake you, but everyone's heading down to the ocean. So, tidy up, and join us!" he flounced out of the room.

Hatori downed three Advil before venturing outside. He had a hangover, but it could have been worse. Thank goodness they were leaving tomorrow! He sloshed lazily through the waves as they lapped at his ankles before sliding away. He turned his head towards the sun, thinking about the dream.

_It must just be seeing that glimpse of her yesterday. You were wishing she had spoken to you… that kiss must have been out of pure happiness to see each other, not out of something more,_ he thought. But his heart wasn't in the explanation. He wanted to think it was something more. Years of convincing himself otherwise forced him to accept the thoughts. He still felt unsure, though.

Sighing, he returned to his towel, and read. The books he had bought the day before were very good. As always, the Shiraki family had the best in stock.

* * *

Late at night, they were clustered around the fire pit, roasting marshmallows and hotdogs. Rob nudged Takumi.

"I think it's done enough." Takumi swore and pulled a giant flaming blob out of the fire. He waved it around, frantically tying to extinguish it. It only glowed brighter, and he yelped as the stick got insanely hot. He dropped the whole thing in the fire and sucked on his fingers.

Shigure downed his fourth smore and promptly stuck yet another marshmallow on the end of his stick. Hatori pulled his nicely roasted hotdog out of the fire, dropped it into a bun, and handed it to Shigure who stuffed the whole thing in his mouth. Yuki emerged from the house carrying a teeny guitar. She sat down and strummed it. Shugo winced as the out of tune "notes" reached his ears. Miko began to sing raucously along to the strumming, and soon everyone had joined in, mostly to mask her voice and the guitar.

Life was good; the trip was over.

* * *

Fall was a very curious time. It was then that Tohru Honda moved in with Shigure. She was one of the only outsiders to ever know about our curse. I was immediately cautious. Then, seeing how she treated the others with such kindness and respect, I warmed to the idea a bit.

I met her. She was indeed very caring. An angel. Literally! I was convinced. I felt spring feebly warming my heart. She had that effect…. I loved her. Like a good friend, maybe a sibling. I loved this girl who had so graciously accepted us and our fate. It had become hers as well. Out of love, I told her not to get involved. She didn't listen. Sometimes I am glad. I can be very overly cautious… but still…

Then she found out about me. My hideous transformation. She didn't laugh. She didn't even smile. She understood. During then, I dreamt of Kana. And then, strangely, I _saw_ Kana. Walking down the street with her friends. Not Mayu, though. I overheard them… she was engaged to be married. My prayers of happiness for her were answered! I felt a sinking, just slightly, but I knew I had done the right thing in letting go. Kana was happy; I could be happy too.

Out of curiosity, I asked Honda-kun that one question; the question that brought tears to my eyes: when snow melts, what does it become? And you know what she answered? _Spring._ I knew then. Spring was coming again. It always would. Without fail.

**

* * *

A/N: We are now approaching the current state of time. Just 14 more books! Lol. And Mayu will show up (for real) in the last chapter (22.) No more dreams, though. That's probably good. Was it as funny for you? Review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket...

**A/N:** Well, here we are! one chapter until the end!

* * *

"_I'm just as dirty as you are._" 

Hatori stood, watching Shigure walk down the path to his waiting Akito. He shook his head. Dirt. All over him; it suffocated him. It coated him. He could feel it crawling over his skin.

He had never really asked God to forgive him. Sure, He was there, but Hatori hadn't asked. He hadn't even thought about it until Rob's sermon two weeks ago. And again now. How to cleanse himself, he really had no idea. Sunday couldn't come fast enough.

Rob stared. Hatori looked really concerned. He sighed. The blue-green eyes bore into his.

"It's really a personal thing. But if you want, we can pray right here." The man's face lit up slightly. Rob quickly added, "Also, you could get baptized." Hatori looked lost. "You know, getting blessed by God, that you are really his. It's not just water, it's His word." Hatori blinked and shrugged.

"Both."

Rob smiled. "Here we go…"

* * *

"Yay, Tori-nii's baptized!" Miko shrieked. He froze coming out of the sanctuary and glared at the teens lined up in front of him. Miko was officially done with high school. College was unfortunately, not an option. She needed a bit more money before she could go. Tohru had leapt at the chance, and was gone. Hotaru, Rena, Shugo, and Takumi were still around - Yume had gone as well. 

Miko flew up and took his hands and began to waltz toward the door. His eyes laughed at her. Takumi and Shugo decided to join them, twirling and crashing into things more often. Rena and Hotaru couldn't resist, and they were all whirling through the church. Shugo and Miko switched places. Somehow, they kept up a conversation. Then Shugo and Rena. It ended when Hotaru got too dizzy and fell to the floor and hit her head. Hatori checked, and it was nothing serious. She would have a bruise for a few days, but nothing more.

They waved goodbye, and he promised that he would go out to ice cream with them and Rob on Thursday. Hatori felt so much better. He couldn't wait to tell someone… who? Shigure? Ayame? Or maybe…Tohru? Momiji? He shrugged and drove away.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that was short. I don't really like the ending. Too abrupt. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.**

* * *

Mayu had always loved him. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she loved him. He was perfect. And lately, Hatori had to be thinking along the same lines - about her!

They had first seen each other for the first time in two years the previous summer. She made that horrid mistake and cried all over him. But he _had_ taken her out for lunch - a plus. Since then they had periodically called each other up, and even gone out to lunch together - twice! And then, last Christmas, he had even invited her to his new apartment to make Christmas cookies! It had been fun. Mayu never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, it did. And here it was, a boring spring afternoon. Saturday. She was grading papers when the phone rang.

"Mayuko Shiraki speaking."

"Mayu-chan? It's Hatori." Oh yeah, did she mention that he had started to call her Mayu-chan?

"Oh! H-hi, Hatori!"

"I was wondering… if you… would like to come to church with me tomorrow."

"…You go to church?" she asked dumbly. Mayu had never been to church. She wondered what it was like. Hatori laughed quietly.

"Yes, I do."

"He he… Sorry! I just didn't know, and, er, YES! I will go to church with you!" she spluttered into the receiver. He laughed slightly louder.

"Okay. I'll pick you up. Dress nicely if you want."

"Okay… thanks. Er… bye," she said meekly. She blushed, knowing he was smiling at her.

"Goodbye."

Mayu had panicked and frantically dug through her closet, desperate to look her best. She ended up with a pretty pink top and a knee-length white skirt that she forgot she even owned. She could barely sleep, and when she did drift off, Hatori's face floated in front of her eyes.

He rang the doorbell at promptly at 8:45. She nearly killed herself trying to run to the door in a pair of stylish, but deadly, heels. As she opened the door, her knees went weak and her heart ached hugely at the sight of him. He was so beautiful.

"Mayu." He said, dipping his head and bowing slightly. The corners of his mouth tugged into a small smile. He was wearing a white shirt and a black suit, though no tie today. Her face flushed bright red. Then she got mad. She bowed back, smiling as well.

"Hello Hatori. It's good to see you."

"Don't be so formal, Mayu. Relax," he said, straightening. She sighed and stood up straighter. Relaxing was out of the question. But when he smiled at her so innocently, she felt relaxed enough to fall over. "Come on, it's a ways to the church," he added, and gently took her hand, pulling her out of the apartment. She panicked and nearly fell over in her shoes. Cursing herself, she frantically apologized before turning around and locking up.

The car ride was brief, and Hatori filled her in on the church. Genuinely interested, she clung to every word.

"And… here we are," he stated softly as they pulled into the parking lot of a normal-looking building. Getting out of the car, the windows, she noticed, were all stained glass. And, on the side of the building, there was a beautiful flowering tree.

"Ah, what a lovely tree!" Mayu gasped idiotically. She mentally kicked herself. Hatori smiled before pulling her after him by the hand.

"Yes. It has certain… sentimental values to me," he replied quietly. When they reached the doors, he gracefully pulled one open for her. A man in a suit turned from an old lady he was talking with and greeted them enthusiastically.

"Hatori! How was your week? Wonderful… ah, I see you've brought a friend!" he exclaimed, winking at Mayuko. She smiled tentatively. "I'm Rob, the pastor here. It's wonderful to see you here today! And what a lovely day it is…" he trailed off and waved as he walked off to greet a younger family that had come in. Hatori smiled at them. The little girl giggled from her mother's arms and waved sloppily back at him. Mayu found herself blushing. It was as if she had stepped into an entirely different world, one where she didn't belong.

"Hori," the girl called. Then she girl spied Mayu and her face burst into a smile. She waved her arms and kicked against her parents who laughed and greeted her briefly. Hatori smiled.

"Come, we want a good seat," he said softly, taking her hand. She blushed, but followed quietly. They walked down a hall, turned and came into the back of the church in the area behind the sanctuary. Mayu gaped. It was so pretty. Hatori led her into the sanctuary and grabbed bulletins as they passed a table overflowing with papers. He walked past rows of chairs until he came to one right in the middle of the room. They sat down. Mayu quietly watched the church fill up. She fidgeted, well aware of the fact that she and Hatori weren't talking.

Five minutes later, a pianist began to play for the congregation. The service had started.

Mayu drank in every word. She memorized the entire message. She sung hymns so loud and beautifully that her voice hurt. She scribbled down notes. She was on a mission. Coming back from communion, however, a cool breeze was beginning to drift through the church. She shivered, and Hatori glanced at her, concerned. Silently, he took of his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She was all too aware when his arm also snaked behind her and rested on the back of her chair.

Before she knew it, the service was over. Hatori stood and helped her up, smiling as she stumbled in her heels. They slowly followed the train of people walking to the back of the church. Mayu was vaguely aware of the fact that she was still wearing Hatori's jacket. When they finally reached the narthex again, Rob was all too happy to ask her how she enjoyed the service.

"So, how was it? I hope not too hard to follow… I hope it was interesting enough for yo-"

"I loved it; it was perfect," she cut him off. He looked immensely pleased with himself. Then…

"_HATORI!!!!!_" cried a voice from behind. Unnerved, Mayu whipped around and nearly fell. Hatori was laughing as a girl, about a senior in high school, ran up to him and gave him several high fives. "Oh my goodness, I've missed you _so_ much, it's like a part of me died, and – _YOU BROUGHT A GIRLFRIEND!!!!_" she shouted crazily.

"Well, I don't know exactly if that's what you could call Mayu-chan-"

"Hi, I'm Hatori's sister! Well, not really but he can explain better later, and my name's Miko, and it's so nice to meet you!" she gushed. Mayu managed a smile, totally taken off guard.

"_Like I was saying_, Mayu isn't really my girlfriend… but we are good friends," Hatori glared. He walked over and gently put an arm around Mayu, pulling her closer. She blushed insanely and Rob and Miko smiled knowingly. "Okay, maybe a little more than friends," he stammered, turning slightly pink himself.

"I can take that for an answer," Miko smiled. "Anyway, call me later; I want to fill you in on college." She turned and waved before exiting through a back door.

"Goodbye…" Hatori mumbled. He turned to Rob. "We'd better get going. I'll see you, Rob."

"Yes, and remember the sixth commandment!" Rob winked. Hatori turned beet red.

"I-we-me and Mayu are going now," he mumbled and hurriedly ushered her out to the car. Mayu was totally lost, but she figured that she probably didn't want to know what the sixth commandment was.

The drive home was more relaxed, Hatori explaining that Miko was so close to him that she was almost like a sister. He asked her about the service, and she gladly told him that she loved it.

When they reached her apartment, she turned to unlock the door.

"Mayu."

She turned around to see Hatori looking at her quite peculiarly. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. He took a step closer and touched her hands, closing them in his. She could feel the heat radiating off of him as she struggled to meet his eyes. Her heart beat crazily as he came closer…

The kiss was the most wonderful thing that Hatori had ever experienced. Mayu's lips against his… it was the moment he'd been waiting on for years. When they finally broke apart, he met her eyes and reached up to stroke her hair.

"Would you like to go again next week?" he whispered.

"Absolutely…!"

He smiled. "I'd better get going. I'll pick you up at the same time." He turned and left, laughing as he turned his face toward the sky. Today was a beautiful day.

* * *

**THE END**

**Sorry it took so long! Also, the sixth commandment could also be interpreted as the seventh commandment.**


End file.
